


Phoenix Wright: Wizarding Attorney

by baileek313



Series: Wizarding Attorney [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Wizard AU, a lot of things further on, american wizarding terms used, and that changes up somethings, basically follows canon story, because localization, but there's magic involved, but we all gotta start somewhere, mia is mom all the way, muggleborn nick, phoenix has trouble with secrets, pureblooded feys, tags will be updated as time goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:14:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baileek313/pseuds/baileek313
Summary: Phoenix Wright is a rookie defense attorney who attempts to get his clients declared innocent. Being a lawyer seems easy. And it would be... if he could only keep his greatest secret just that. There is something more to this attorney’s “magical” touch in his defense. In his first year as an attorney, Phoenix is just about to learn how “charmed” the courtroom really is.





	1. At the Starting Line

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how this happened. It was a thing that came to mind, and... evolved. Like a plague.  
> Basically, magic. That's all you need to know for the time being.
> 
> I mean, I posted a one-shot from it a while ago on my tumblr, and that seemed to be popular enough. So I decided to give it a try and jump into the fray now. Actually, more like dip my toes in the water...

_For as long as anyone can remember, there have been two separate worlds on Earth. There is the mundane world — filled with average people doing average things. There’s nothing fantastic about it. Then there’s our world. The magical world. The Earth is inhabited by magical creatures of all kinds. And hiding among the human populace is a large population of wizards and witches, all of which are taught from a young age to control their gifted abilities._

_There are those who choose to go into the magical professions… and then there are those who chose the mundane. My boss and I are apart of the latter. Together, we defend those in court against the crimes they’ve been charged with. However, there are some things that don’t meet the eye of the your average courts. That’s where we come in._

_Lawyers with our skills are there to fill in the gaps where things don’t make sense, try to explain  the unusual. We provide a magical touch the courtroom, with our clients ranging for the average to the magical. We defend those who cannot defend themselves. We bring those who use their magic for the wrong purposes to justice. We protect the magical community from the constant threat of being exposed. We are MACUSA’s elite._

_We’re the Wizarding World’s defense attorneys._

_And today… well, today marks my first day as one of them._

* * *

 

**August 3, 2016**

**9:47 AM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 2**

 

 _Nervous does not begin to describe what I’m feeling_.

Phoenix Wright ran his fingers over the golden, sunflower-like badge that was pinned to the lapel of his jacket. He stared out the window. He hardly could believe that he was standing here. He hardly could believe that he had passed the bar exam. He could hardly believe that his first trial was starting in a few minutes, and he was starting to have second thoughts.

Phoenix shook his head. No. He had come too far to stop now. Besides, his client needed him. He had made a promise, and he was sure to keep it. Though, his nerves would be calmer if his mentor was here. She had promised that she would come and see his first trial.

There was a sharp crack inside of the room that made Phoenix nearly shout.

“Nick!” He whirled around. Standing behind him in the room was the one person he had been waiting so long for. Phoenix relaxed.

“Hey, Mia… I almost thought you weren’t coming.”

“And what? Miss the chance to see you leave the nest? Not on my life.” Mia Fey crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed, pushing back a strand of her long, brown hair. “I’m just glad I made it before the trial started. I have to say Nick, I am impressed! Not everyone takes a murder trial right off the bat like this. It says a lot about you.” Mia’s tone took a bit more of a serious tone. “And it says a lot about your client as well.”

“Um… thanks?” He wasn’t really confident. He had expected his first trial to be a little more… exciting. However, when he got the call from the detention center, Phoenix couldn’t deny who exactly was calling him. He sighed. “Truthfully? It’s because I owe him a favor…” Mia stared at him.

“A favor? You mean you knew the defendant before this case?” Phoenix nodded.

“Yeah. Actually, I kinda owe my current job to him. He’s one of the reasons I became a defense attorney.” He was partially the reason anyway. It wasn’t like Phoenix was ever going to openly admit it to him.

“Well, that’s news to me!” Mia said with a laugh.

“I want to help him out any way I can! I just… really want to help him, I owe him that much.” There was one thing Phoenix wanted to tell Mia about his friend. It was something that he thought that she ought to know. “He’s a great person, Mia. I know he didn't do it. I trust him…” Phoenix looking directly at his boss. “... After all… he’s kept our little… um… secret so far.”

Mia raised an eyebrow. She stared at Phoenix. The stick inside the inner pocket of Phoenix’s jacket felt heavier. He placed a hand over it, laughing nervously. Mia looked around to make sure that no one else was in the defendant’s lobby.

“You mean that he knows?” she asked when she was sure that the coast was clear. Phoenix hesitated before nodding.

“Well…” He lowered his hand away from his chest. “I mean… he was there when I found out myself, so… yeah.” Phoenix could remember that day… and both of the friends and his mother’s reactions to it. They would be forever burned in this mind. Mia’s stare could even make the most stubborn witness break. “It was an accident, I swear! He hasn’t told a soul.”

“Phoenix.”

“Please don’t get mad,” Phoenix said with a sigh. He knew how Mia felt about people like their client knowing about their secret. Mia groaned. “Look, I know I should have told you. But I didn’t think you would act like… this.”

“It is a violation of the Statute of Secrecy.”

“It’s not like I told him. Technically, the government did. If you want to blame anyone, blame them.” It was just a matter of him being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mia sighed. She went for what was hidden inside of her own jacket. “Wait! Do you really want to obliviate… I don’t know…. about thirteen years worth of memories?” Mia sighed again. She placed her hands on her hips. It looks like Phoenix won that round.

_Finding out that your best friend is a wizard isn’t a normal thing. And considering how much he runs his mouth… I’m actually surprised he managed to keep this a secret for so long._

“Phoenix, I don’t want anyone else finding out about this,” said Mia. So… she trusted their client? “I have a question for you. Do you remember the only rule you are given as a MACUSA lawyer?”

“Of course I do. You told me a millions times.” Nothing came to mind. “... what is it again?”

“No magic in the courtroom,” Mia said, punctuating each word. Right… “There are No-Majs in attendance, you have to remember that. Even if your friend is one exception.” Phoenix sighed. At least she wasn’t going to erase his memory about Phoenix being a wizard. It made him comfortable knowing that there was someone he could talk to both magical and normal problems with: his current client, and Mia Fey who had grown up surrounded by magic.

“I also want you to remember that we’re only allowed to use magic outside of the courtroom without a No-Maj watching…" continued Mia, "or in the case of self-defense. The latter though… that’s a rule for anywhere.”

 _In what kind of situation would I need to use self-defense during a trial?_ Phoenix’s train of thought stopped when he heard a scream from the other side of the defendant lobby door.

“Nick? Isn’t that your client screaming out there?” Phoenix sighed heavily.

“Yeah… that would be him.” The doors to the defendant's lobby swung open. A pair of bailiffs pushed the defendant inside of the room before slamming the doors shut.

“Nick!!” cried out Phoenix’s client, stumbling into his friend. He had his face buried into the back of Phoenix's jacket. “Dude, I’m so guilty! Tell them that I'm guilty! I ain’t afraid to die!”

“Whoa, hey!” Phoenix managed to pry his friend off of his jacket. “Larry, what’s gotten into you?!”

“It’s all over! I’m finished!” He shook his friend by his shoulders, resulting in being pushed off once again. “Who took her away from me, Nick?! Who took my baby away?” Phoenix sighed. So that was what Larry was freaking out about.

_The person responsible for your girlfriend's death? The papers say it was you..._

* * *

 

_My name is Phoenix Wright. I’m a member of the wizarding population here in LA, along with my mentor: Mia Fey. Here's the story: My first case is a fairly simple one — no magic involved whatsoever, thank God. A young woman was killed in her apartment. The guy they arrested was the unlucky sap dating her: Larry Butz... my best friend since forever._

_When we went together, our school had a saying: "When something smells, it's usually the Butz." In the twenty-three years I've known him, it's usually been true. One thing I can say though is, it's usually not his fault. He just has terrible luck. But I know better than anyone, that he's a good guy at heart. Which is why I took the case... to clear his name. And that's just what I'm going to do! It’s time to cast a spell on this courtroom and reveal the truth!_

* * *

 

**August 3**

**10:00 AM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 2**

 

The moment he stepped behind the defense’s bench, Phoenix started to feel lightheaded. This was his fist trial. The only time he had stood in court before as as Mia’s co-counsel and at the witness stand. This is the first time someone’s life had been in his hands. it didn’t help that it as a close friend’s.

 _Hands shaking... Eyesight... fading… If I could apparate out of this room right now, I would._ He knew the case back to back and cover to cover. He knew everything. And he was ready. If only the room would stop spinning.

Larry stood as the defendant. His girlfriend was the victim. She had been struck once by a blunt object. Simple enough facts. The only question was if Phoenix could find the truth behind those facts. He had to pay attention. Larry got called to the stand. Things could have gotten bad. Larry got excited very easily. Things did not get better when the prosecutor started laying into Larry either.

“Mr. Butz, is it not true that the victim had recently dumped you?

“Hey, watch it buddy! We were great together! We were Romeo and Juliet! Cleopatra and Mark Anthony!”

 _Um... didn't they all die? I never got the chance to read those plays, and even I know that._ And things only got worse from there. The prosecution he claimed that Stone breaking up with Larry provided the perfect motive to kill her. He went on further, stating that the victim had already moved on. She was seeing several other men; she had returned from Paris with one of these men the day before her death. Her passport proved that.

“We can clearly see what kind of woman this Ms. Stone was,” continued the prosecution. “Tell me, Mr Butz, what do you think of her now?”

“Wright,” Mia muttered to her protégé, “You probably don’t want him answering that question.”

 _Yeah... Larry has a way of running his mouth in all the wrong directions. Should I...?_ Phoenix’s fingers twitched, wanting to close around something. _No, Mia wouldn’t let me cast a silencing charm on him… it probably wouldn’t work anyway… Someone would notice._

“Dude, no way! That cheatin’ she-dog!” Phoenix really wished he had at least said something to shut Larry up. “I’m gonna die! I’m just gonna drop dead! And when I met her in the afterlife… I’m going to get to the bottom of this!” The judge cleared his throat, wanting to get the trial back on track. Either way, it didn’t look too good at this point. The trial continued, with the prosecution asking if Larry went into the victim’s apartment on the day of the murder.

“W-Well… said Larry, not looking at either lawyer. “Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t!” That only meant one thing.

 _Uh oh. He went. What do I do? Do I say something or… Maybe I can send a message to him…_ He could do that, right? Magic was useful for doing things like that. _Wait…_ _no, that requires wandwork too… Dammit!_

“Um… well.. ya see… it’s like this,” said Larry. “I don’t remember?” Phoenix groaned.

 _I got a bad feeling about this…_ And he was right to have that feeling. The prosecution claimed to have a witness who saw Larry go into the victim’s apartment. The judge allowed this witness to take the stand, a man named Frank Sahwit. Sahwit testified that he had seen Larry leaving the victim's apartment at around 1:00 PM and had investigated himself. That’s when he caught sight of the victim’s body. He claimed to be unable to go inside due to fear and called for the police from a nearby public payphone. He wouldn’t haven been able to use the victim’s phone either way. Phoenix groaned as the testimony came to a close.

_Larry! Why didn't you tell the truth? I can't defend you against a testimony like that! Wait… maybe I can… no. Mia still wouldn’t let me. She said no magic in the courtroom. Dammit! She made it look so easy in the trials I’ve watched her work in… Then again, she did need to have a little bit of technological translation here and there…_

“Incidentally, why wasn’t the phone working at the victim's apartment?” asked the judge.

“At the time of the murder, there was a blackout in the building. I have a record of the blackout for your perusal.” Mia nudged Phoenix as he was handed a copy of the blackout report.

“Um, Nick? Aren’t phones supposed to work in a blackout?” she asked, trying to keep her voice low. Speaking of being a technological translator...

“Yeah, but some phones don’t have a cord. They won’t work right because of it,” Phoenix whispered back to his mentor. “I’m guessing the phone the victim had was one of those.”

“Now, Mr. Wright…” Phoenix snapped to attention as the judge addressed him. “You may begin your cross-examination.” Phoenix blinked.

“My what, Your Honor?” He felt something drive into his foot. Phoenix bit back a cry as Mia removed her heel from his shoe.

“Your cross-examination, Wright,” said the woman, answering Phoenix's earlier question. Phoenix acted as her non-magic translator, and she tended to be his legal translator. it was a symbiotic relationship. “This is why you wear that badge. You have to expose the lies in the witness’s testimony.”

“What? He was lying?!”

“If you client is innocent, then the witness must have lied in his testimony. Or is your friend really guilty?” Phoenix knew the truth to that as well as Mia did.

“How exactly do prove that he's not?”

“It’s all in the evidence. Find the contradictions between the evidence and the witness’s testimony. once you found it rub it in the witness’s face!” Phoenix gave Mia a firm nod.

“Alright.”

Phoenix ran through the testimony against in his head. It wasn’t long before he saw the contradiction Mia as talking about. Using the autopsy report as his guide, Phoenix point out that the victim had died at around 4:00 PM. However, Sawhit seemed confident that he had found the body at 1:00. the prosecutor tried t make up for Sawhit’s mistake, claiming that he had simply forgotten the time. The judge was having none of that and ordered the witness to testify again.

Sawhit claimed that he had heard the time when he found the body and thought it most likely came from a television. He believed that it was from a video the victim had been watching. Once again Phoenix caught him in a lie. He brought out the blackout report, which proved that the witness could not have heard the time at all due to the lack of power. Sahwit was asked to testify one more time about and he found the body.

“Actually, I didn't ‘hear’ the time... I ‘saw’ it! There was a table clock in the apartment, wasn't there! Yeah, the murder weapon! The killer used it to hit the victim! That must have been what I saw.”

“You saw a clock?” asked the judge, getting a nod from the witness. “I guess that would explain it. Phoenix stared at the murder weapon, laid out along with the rest of the evidence in the middle of the courtroom.

“Wait just a moment,” he said, still staring at the murder weapon. It was a golden statue, designed to look like the Thinker. “The murder weapon isn’t a clock, it’s a statue! How is that supposed to be a clock?”

“Whaa!? Y-You with your ‘objections,’ and your ‘evidence’,” growled Sahwit. "...Just who do you think you are!?”

“Just answer the question, Mr. Sahwit,” Phoenix said with a sigh. Why was he avoiding answering the question?

“Hey, I... I saw it there, okay! That's a clock!” It still didn't look like a clock to Phoenix.

“Your Honor! If I may…” piped up the prosecution.

“Yes, Mr. Payne?”

“As the witness stated, this statue is indeed a clock. The neck is a switch. You just tilt it, and it says the time out loud. As it doesn't look like a clock, I submitted it as a statue. My apologies.” Phoenix continued to stare at the murder weapon. That was seriously a clock?

“I see. So the murder weapon was a table clock after all. Well, Mr. Wright? It appears that the witness's testimony was correct. This is a clock. Do you have any problems with his testimony now?”

“...I…” Phoenix groaned. “I guess not.”

“Wright!” said Mia through her teeth before rapping Phoenix on the shoulder. “Are you out of your mind?! That ‘clock’ doesn't even look like a clock!” She sighed before lowering the tone of her voice. “I thought you would recognize stuff like this. It's part of the reason I hired you!”

_You hired me partially because of my blood status?!_

“It doesn’t even look like a clock!” said Phoenix in his own, harsh whisper. “What do you think most clocks look like?!”

“I‘m not one to question the No-Maj population,” Mia replied, keeping her voice low. Larry couldn’t speak for the whole population. He couldn’t even count for the people in his apartment building. Mia sighed. “Okay, assuming that this is a clock, there’s no way the witness would have known that just by looking at it. He said so himself that he never entered the apartment. It was in his testimony!” Mia did have a fair point...

“Is something the matter?” Phoenix snapped back to attention when the judge addressed him and Mia. “Does the defense have anything to add?”

“Um…” Phoenix exchanged a look with Mia. “Yes! Yes I do!” He kept his fingers crossed that Mia’s notion was right. “The only way that the witness could have known the weapon was a clock was to hold it in his hand. Yet he testified that he had never entered the apartment in the first place! Clearly, a contradiction!” It was only when Phoenix said that the witness was lying that Sahwit asked to see proof. That was what triggered Phoenix’s next move, where his own ego took over his mind.

“Oh, I can do better than that,” Phoenix continued. “I can prove that you were the one who killed her! You struck her with the clock, and the shock of the blow triggered the clock’s voice! That's the sound you heard!” That had to be it, right? The gallery didn’t seem to agree, as it rose in a small chatter that the judge had to quiet down. He wasn’t wrong. That had to be the only possibility, right?

“Mr. Sahwit,” Phoenix continued. “That sound must have left quite the impression on you. It’s understandable, since the murder weapon spoke just as you hit the victim! And that voice was burned into your mind. That’s why your were so certain about the time!”

“OBJECTION!” suited the prosecution. “Wh-Wh-What’s the meaning of this? This is all baseless conjecture!”

“Baseless? Just look at the witness’s face!” The witness was sweating more bullets then the police were allowed to carry. He grumbled something under his breath as the judge asked him to elaborate on his testimony.

“I... I...! That... that day... I... I never! Look... I... the clock... I heard, no! I mean, I saw...Saw... nggg! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” There was a swift motion from sahwit. Phoenix felt something hit his face. Whatever it was slid down his face and landed on top of his feet. Upon seeing what it was, Phoenix kicked it away with a sound of disgust. Sahwit had thrown his toupee at Phoenix's face.

“Shutupshutupshutup! I hate you!” yelled Sahwit. “I-It was him, I tell you! I saw him! H-He killed her and he should burn! Burn! Give him death!” Once everything had called down, Phoenix was asked to give evidence to support his case. That's was where his ego deflated.

_The whole case is riding on this! I'd better think it through carefully! How on Earth could he now it was a clock? Definitely doesn’t look like a normal clock… but the again, Larry made it. Hmm… we could always try… yeah, that would work._

Phoenix went on to suggest that they sound the clock. With a simple twist of the clock’s neck, Larry’s recorded voice echoed out 8:25, when the actual time was 11:25. It proved to the court that the clock was three hours slow. That just happened to the be the difference in time that Sahwit heard the clock say at the time of the murder compared to the actual time of death.

Phoenix felt like he had his one already wrapped up. That was until Sahwit pointed out that Phoenix had no proof. There wasn’t a way he could prove that the clock was three hours slow on the ayof the murder. Without that evidence, the judge had no other choice but to end the cross-examination.

 _I almost had him! Sorry, Larry... I failed you. There's nothing I can do about it now… nothing legal anyway…_ There was a slam, stopping Sahwit from leaving the witness stand.

“Not so fast, Mr. Sahwit!”

“Mia!”

“Don’t throw this one away, Wright!” said Mia. “Think!”

“Chief, it’s over. I can’t prove the clock wa slow on th day of the murder,” said Phoenix. “Nobody can do that! Not even with—” Phoenix bit down on his tongue to stop himself from finish that sentence. Mia sighed.

“Um... well, yes. But that doesn't mean you can't still win! Try thinking out of the box! Don't waste time doubting the facts.” Mia Fey, always the optimist. Even when things got tough, she got tougher. “Assume the clock was three hours slow and... Think through it! Ask yourself, ‘Why was the clock three hours slow’? Figure out the reason, and you'll have your proof! Right, Nick? Can you think of a reason as to why the clock would be three hours slow?”

“How exactly am I supposed to know that?” The only way to know that would be to contact the victim herself. And not even magic could accomplish that.

“I know you can figure it out! There must be something that can show why that clock was three hours slow. If you find it, Sahwit won’t have a lot to stand on.” As usual, Mia was right. With Mia’s words of encouragement, Phoenix began to stall on time as he thought about what she had just said.

_Hmm… Think Phoenix. Why would the clock be slow? … Maybe she reset it? No, that doesn’t make sense. The victim would have to purposefully set it back a couple of hours. But why? She wouldn’t have any need to do that .It wasn’t like she was in a different… time zone… oh. OH._

Phoenix announced his theory to the court. Seeing as the victim had returned from Paris recently, it was completely possible for the clock to be three hours slow, or rather, nine hours fast. That would explain the discrepancy of the clock’s set time. If the victim hat reset her clock upon her return home, it would still announce the time as 1:00. That’s when it happened.

Mr. Sahwit broke down. He broke down, screaming at the witness stand. Phoenix was sure he even saw foam come out of his mouth. He confessed. He confessed to his crime. The witness had to be dragged off of the stand by the bailiffs.

“Well... This case has certainly turned out differently than we all expected.” Phoenix thought that’s how most trials went. At least that’s how most of Mia’s trials went. “Mr. Payne... your witness?”

“He… er… he was arrested and has been taken away, Your Honor.” And not calmly either.

“Very well. Mr. Wright?”

“Yes, Your Honor?” Phoenix had a feeling about what he was going to say.

“I have to say, I'm impressed. I don't think I've ever seen someone complete a defense so quickly... and find the true culprit at the same time!” Phoenix beamed proudly.

“Thank you, Your Honor.”

“At this point, this is only a formality, but... This court finds the defendant, Mr. Larry Butz… Not Guilty!” Shooting out from the gallery, confetti rained down upon the courtroom. There was a loud shout from Mia. Phoenix’s grin slowly turned into a laugh. It wasn’t long before he joined Mia in cheering.

And with that, court was adjourned.

* * *

 

**August 3**

**12:32 PM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 2**

 

 _I still can't believe we won!_ Of the case files Phoenix had read, most defense attorneys either lost or never got a verdict for their first case. But Phoenix… he had won. Phoenix felt a weight on his back as Mia hooked her arm around his neck.

“Wright, that was amazing!” she said, happy as she was in the courtroom. “Congratulations!”

“Uh. th-thanks, Chief.” Phoenix sipped out from under Mia’s hold so he could breathe again. “Though, I owe it all to you.”

“No, you don’t. You fought your own battle in there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a trial end of such a satisfying note!”

 _I've never seen the chief looking this happy... If she's this glad, imagine how Larry must feel!_ Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  Larry shuffled in behind them with a heavy sigh. He leaned up against Phoenix going nearly limp.

“My life is over…” he moaned.

“Whoa, hey! Larry!” Phoenix stood his friend upright. “You’re supposed to be happy! What’s wrong now?!”

“Aww, Nick... Don't worry 'bout me! I'll be dead and gone soon!”

“Good! Wait, no! I mean... Bad! Bad bad bad! Larry, you're innocent! The case is closed.”

“... But... but my Cindy-windy's gone, man! Gone forever!” Even after hearing all that, this is what Larry was upset about? Phoenix understood, but he didn’t think that Larry would be this upset.

 _Larry, she was a…_ He sighed. _Nah... Never mind._

It took a while for Mia and Phoenix to get Larry to look at this in a more positive light. It wasn’t long before he was back to himself, even hitting on Mia to elp solidify that point. In fact, he ended up giving Mia a clock that was identical to the murder weapon. Apparently, he had made the clocks — one for the victim, and one for himself. Phoenix would never understand why Mia decided to keep theclock.

 _Hope that made him feel a little better…_ Mia pulled Phoenix off to the side, and out the door.

“I hope you an see the magic of evidence in the court now,” said Mia as she and Phoenix walked down the hall of the court. “Also, hopefully you realize, things change depending on how you’re looking at them. People to. We never really know if our clients are guilty or innocent. All we can do is believe in them. And in order to believe in them, you have to believe in yourself.” Mia glanced around the hall before lowering her voice to a volume only Phoenix could hear. “Nick... Listen. Learn. Grow strong. Never let go of what you believe in. Never. And remember the one rule we are given.”

“Um… no magic in the courtroom?” Phoenix guessed.

“No _wandwork_ in the courtroom. You worked some magic yourself there without waving a wand.” Phoenix felt a sense of pride start to build.

“Um.. thanks!” That had to have been the greatest compliment Phoenix ever received from Mia. They exited the courtroom, worming their way past reporters trying to get information about the trial. Phoenix sighed when they finally made it past.

“Say, how about dinner. On me?” Mia offered up as the noise of the crowd began to fade away. “We'll drink a toast to innocent Butz!” Phoenix agreed wholeheartedly. His first victory on his first trial deserved a victory celebration. “Oh, speaking of Larry... You were saying part of why you became a lawyer was because of him.” Had Phoenix said that? He did…

“Er… yeah. Part, at least.” The real reason was something that would most likely shock Mia. What she would do after that… Phoenix wasn’t so sure.

“You'll have to tell me more about it sometime! Maybe... over drinks?” Phoenix gave her a nod as they left the courthouse’s premises. That story would take all night to tell Mia.

* * *

 

_And so, my first trial came to a close. I'm pretty sure Larry’s not going to pay us. Unless you count the clock he gave Mia. ... I didn't know it then... but that clock was soon going to be at the center of another incident. And my promise to tell the chief about me and Larry... would be one promise that I wouldn't be able to keep. …_

 

_Mia… I’m sorry..._


	2. On Her Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was supposed to be a simple celebration turns into murder. Now Phoenix is left without Mia to guide him, and now he must save a witch from burning at the stake when she's the suspect. To make matters worse, she's Mia's sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised that people actually like this. I'm gonna go one with it for now. We'll see how everything plays out.
> 
> Note though, this chapter contains murder. Because... well... this is turnabout sisters. Mia's gotta die, guys. Sorry. I love her just as much as you.

**September 5, 2016**

**6:22 PM**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

 

The entire day was slow. Phoenix yawned, leaning back in his chair. Mia had been busy preparing for a big case she had coming up tomorrow. She wouldn't let Phoenix in on the specifics. All she kept saying was “this is the reason I became a lawyer”.

Mia leaned up against Phoenix’s desk, holding a case file close to her chest. Her excitement had been building to the point when she had been going over her court case over and over with Phoenix all day. It was a good thing they didn’t have any clients.

“And that should get him,” said Mia once she was done for the tenth time. “What do you think, Nick?”

“It sounds like you got the guy.” Phoenix looked up from the file he had been reading throughout the day to keep himself occupied.

“If this meeting goes well, I’ll be bringing him to trial by tomorrow morning.” Mia grinned wider than Phoenix had ever seen her before. “I can’t wait to tell Maya.”

“Maya? Who’s Maya?” Mia pulled one of the papers out of her file.

“My little sister.” She placed the rest of the file on Phoenix’s desk. Phoenix sat up as straight as stone. What did Mia just say?

“You have a sister?” Mia nodded, folding her piece of paper in half. Since when did Mia have a sister?

“Haven’t I told you?”

“No. This is the first time you've mentioned her.” _And after two years, you think she would have brought it up before._ Phoenix sighed, easing back into his chair. “So is she a…?”

“A witch?” Mia said, finishing his sentence. Phoenix nodded. Mia withdrew her wand from her blazer. “I come from a pure blooded family, Phoenix. We’re almost all witch and wizard.” Phoenix watched as Mia disappeared into her office. “Anyway, she’s coming here tonight or a visit,” he heard Mia’s voice call out from the other room. “Why don’t you join us? We’re going to be going out for dinner.”

“Really?” There was the sound of metal clanging from Mia’s office. The only time Phoenix had ever interacted with Mia was while investigating or in court.

“Of course. Why not? You’re part of this law firm.” Mia sooned returned, sans her paper. Phoenix picked up his briefcase from besides his desk, working on the latch to shut it.

“Uh… Alright.” If Mia didn’t have a problem with it, what was the harm in coming? Besides, it would be interesting to see what Mia was like outside of the office.

“Good. I’ll let her know. She’s really excited to meet you.” Phoenix looked up at Mia.

“Wait, she knows about me?” Mia nodded. “You've told her about me?”

“How could I not have? She’s an… inquisitive type of person.” Mia had hesitated. Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

 _What exactly does she mean by inquestive?_ Phoenix shook it off. It probably wasn’t anything important anyway. What was the problem with Maya being curious?

“So, I’ll see you around 9:00?” continued Mia. “I’ll be in a meeting until then.” Phoenix nodded.

“Got it. I’ll see you then, Chief!” He headed for the exit.

“Phoenix, don’t be late!”

“I won’t!” He could get to the office again in the blink of an eye. All he had to do was keep an on the clock. Phoenix left the office and Mia behind. He made a mental note not to forget his promise to Mia.

* * *

 

**September 5**

**9:08 PM**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

 

Phoenix somehow managed to break his promise to Mia. It had only taken a small moment of getting distracted to make him late. Phoenix sighed as he rested up against the door to the office. He shut his eyes for one little moment, and then next thing he knew, it was after nine. He really hoped that Mia wasn’t upset with him. After all, it was only eight minutes. What’s the worst that could happen?

Phoenix tried to open the door. It was strangely locked. It took him about a minute to process this. Why would Mia lock the door? Phoenix sighed, reaching for the wand inside of his jacket. It wasn’t nothing a little wandwork couldn’t fix. Lucky for Mia, charms happened to be Phoenix’s best subject in school.

“ _Alohomora_.” There was a click as the lock opened on its open. Phoenix opened the door. The office was covered in a blanket of darkness with the oly light coming in from the moon outside.

 _The chief must have gone home already…_ Phoenix found the light switch. He flicked it. None of the lights in the office come on. Several more flicks gave only the same result. _Why aren’t the lights coming on?_ Phoenix sighed. A least he still had his wand out.

“ _Lumos_.” The small, bluish light illuminated the wand tip, casting enough of a glow to help Phoenix see. He paced himself slowly, creeping carefully in the office. First, the door was locked, then the lights wouldn't come on. And now that he looked at it, the office seemed like it had been roughed up to. Like someone had been trying to find something in a hurry. There was something else that felt off… some strong scent hit Phoenix as soon as he stepped in the room.

 _What's that smell...?_ It was something vaguely familiar... _Blood...?_ Phoenix’s eyes went wide. Blood was never a good sign.

“Mia!” Phoenix called out. “Mia!!” There was no response. She had to be here. Maybe she was in her office. Phoenix bolted towards her office. “Mia!” Just like the rest of the place, Mia’s personal space was engulfed in darkness.

“Chief?” There was the sound of a soft sobbing faintly choursing throughout the room. Phoenix followed it to discover a horrific sight. There was Mia Fey lying under the window. Her hair covered half of her face. Phoenix could see blood dripping down the side of her head.

“MIA!” Phoenix dropped his wand on the floor. The light went out. He ran over to Mia. No, she was just unconscious. She probably passed out waiting for him. But the blood… it was still wet. “Mia! Mia, come on, wake up. MIA!!” Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. No, Mia was… She really was…

There was a soft squeak. Phoenix blinked, looking over beside him. Sitting on the floor was a young girl dressed in strange, purple robes. Her bluish-grey eyes were bloodshot. Her long black hair was tied in a topknot on her head. She was staring at Phoenix. Phoenix stared back.

“Who… Who are you?” The girl was quiet. Her breathing grew heavier, a if hse were about to scream. The girl’s eyes rolled back before she collapsed on the floor. Phoenix scrambled over to her, hoping the girl was still alive.

“Hey.” Phoenix shook her shoulder. “Hey, come on…” The girl didn't wake. The steady rise and fall of her chest calmed Phoenix down. She was breathing, but Phoenix couldn't let her lie here, not with a dead body in the room. Despite being small in stature, the girl was heavier than she looked. At least to Phoenix she was. Still, with a bit of effort, he managed to carry her out of the room. He left he girl lying on the sofa.

Phoenix walked back into the office. He walked over, crouching down in front of Mia’s body. All he could do was stare. He put his hands on her shoulders, gently shaking her. She had to wake up, she just had to. Mia wasn’t dead. She wasn’t.

“Mia… please,” said Phoenix, hoping she could hear him. “Wake up. Please! You can't be dead. Don’t be…” He didn’t want to finish that sentence. Her body was still warm when he touched her. However, now, all that warmth had faded away. Mia went cold.

“Chief…” And like that, she was gone. Phoenix sat there, staring at her body. There was no way Mia was gone. She couldn’t have been gone. She couldn’t have been. Phoenix stood. There was no time for tears now. He had to call the police. He turned, immediately heading for the phone on Mia’s desk. There was the sound of something crushing underneath Phoenix’s shoe. He looked down.

He hadn't noticed it before, but there were glass shards all over the floor. Phoenix supposed they came from the broken lamp lying on the back of the room. How the heck did he not notice this before…? Phoenix stared at the glass shards. There was something mingled in with the shards. Phoenix crouched down, picking up the foreign object.

“Oh no…” Phoenix dropped what he had picked up as soon as he saw what it was. He had found the broken halves of Mia’s wand. His heart sank. There would be no way this would be something that Mia did by accident. She was the most careful person he new when it came to magic. Her killer… they had to have been the one to do this, right? It was the only thing Phoenix could think of… the wand looked like it had been stepped on. That had to be what happened, right?

 _I really hope that she tried to fight back… She always said that duelling spells should only be used in self-defense…_ Phoenix sighed. He still had to call the police. And that girl… just who was she? And what was she doing here? Phoenix went for the phone. As soon as he picked it up, it fell apart in his hands. He could have sworn that the phone was working fine earlier.

A scream remedied Phoenix of having to call the police. Apparently a woman in the hotel across the street had seen the whole thing. She had the police situation covered. Now, Phoenix could move on. It was time to find out what that strange girl was doing here in the first place. And getting his wand back. he had dropped that. Phoenix snatched his wand off of the floor. He tucked it back into his jacket as he walked out to where she was.

The girl was no longer on the sofa where he had left her. Where the heck…? Phoenix could have sworn that the girl was passed out on the couch.

 _I really hope she didn’t run away on me_ … That was never a good sign.

“Y-You…”

“Yipes!” Phoenix jumped at the voice behind him. He whirled around, coming face-to-face with the mystery girl he had been looking for. There was silence as they stared at each other. “Um… who are you?” The girl glanced at the floor. She shrugged her shoulders, trying to make herself look smaller. Phoenix had to do something to get her to trust him. “Um… I-It’s okay. I work here. My name is Phoenix Wright.”

“I’m… Maya. Maya Fey.”

“Maya… Fey?” The girl nodded.

_Wait… Maya?_

“You’re the chief’s…?”

“Sister,” Maya finished for Phoenix. “I’m her younger sister.” Phoenix felt a pang of guilt. Maya had to be the one to discover her own sister’s corpse. He couldn’t imagine what she had seen before he walked in. “She said that she wanted me to keep some evidence for her.”

“Evidence?” Maya nodded.

“Yes. I-It was that clock… the Thinker. I got here shortly before you did… I came in…” Tears built up in the corner of Maya’s dark eyes. Her voice was slipping. “Th-The room was dark. And sis… Sis…” Maya broke into tears. Phoenix could only guess why.

 _So she was already dead…_ Phoenix reached out a hand to hopefully provided Maya with a small sense of comfort. He didn’t know what else to do. Unfortunately, all action seized by the loud sound of sirens. Maya covered her ears as the noise only grew louder. Heavy footsteps rushed up towards the office door before it was busted open.

“Freeze! Police!” A large man in a dirty, old trench coat entered the office. Police officers flooded in after him.

“We received a report from the building across the way, see. Got a person saying they saw a murder,” said the man. “Anyway, I don't want either of you moving one inch, 'kay?” Phoenix couldn’t find a thing to say.  He only offered up a nod, pointing the police in the direction of Mia’s office. The cops wasted no time in investigating.

 _Great. Just great._  Phoenix glanced over at Maya. She looked like he was about to start crying all over again. _Maya... Wait, she wouldn't have... nah. She’s a witch, right? If she wanted to kill Mia she would have done so using magic, right? I think so..._

“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaah! Scuze me!” Maya yelped and Phoenix jumped. The strange man had returned, this time carrying something in his hand. It wa a small piece of paper. Phoenix could see something written on it in dark, red ink. Or what he hoped was ink.

“Does the word Maya mean anything to you?”

“Um…” Maya stammered. She and Phoenix exchanged a look with each other. “That… That’s my name…”

“WHAT?!” Phoenix cringed at the man’s volume. “The victim drew this here note in her own blood, see?” She did what?! “With her dying breath, she wrote down the killer’s name!”

“K-Killer?!”

“What?!” Maya? A killer? She didn’t even look like she had enough strength to bash the side of someone’s head in!

“I-I’m not—”

“Case closed!” The man handed off the bloody paper to one of the officers close by. He withdrew a pair of handcuffs from the confines of his coat. Before Phoenix could process what was going on, the man had slapped the handcuffs on Maya. “You’re coming down to the precinct, ma’am.”

“What?!” The man started leading her away. Maya flashed a pleading look at Phoenix, silently begging him for help.

“Hey, wait!” Phoenix went to go after them. A younger officer took his arm before he could.

“Sir, you’re going to have to come down to the station with us,” said the officer in a far gentler manner than Phoenix felt that the situation called for.

“What? But I…”

“We’re going to need you to answer some questions. Either you coming willingly, or in handcuffs. Your choice, buddy.” Phoenix sighed. He really didn’t _have_ a choice on this.

_This is going to be a long night..._

* * *

 

**September 6, 2016**

**9:07 AM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

 

Despite how tired he was, and how long the questioning took, Phoenix couldn’t leave the detention center just yet. The second they let him out, he demanded to see Maya. He could hear her crying while he waited to be questioned. And after being arrested, he just wanted to make sure that she was alright. Judging by the redness to her eyes when he finally met with her in the visitor’s room Maya Fey wasn’t fine.

_Look at her. They have her locked up like she’s some type of criminal. She looks as tired as I feel..._

“Um…” Maya stifled a yawn, “M-Mr. Wright? Are… Are you going to be my attorney?”

“Uh, well…” That’s not eat Phoenix had first expected her to say. Honestly, he was still wearing his clothes from last night, which included his badge. He began to fiddle around with it. “I mean… that part’s up to you. After all, you’re the one behind the glass right now.” Maya only grew more upset by the looks of it.

“They’re never going to believe me… are they? Even when you found me, you looked at me like I did it!”

“Uh…” _Did I look at her like that…?_ Phoenix couldn’t remember. “N-No, Maya. I never thought that you—!”

“I-It’s okay. I understand.” Maya stared at her hands, tucked firmly away in her lap. “I’ve um… heard about you, too…”

“Heard?” Phoenix repeated. Maya nodded. “What exactly have you heard about me?”

“I was uh… talking to Mia the other day… she said you were just like us… in a special way.” So, Maya knew _that_ much about Phoenix. “She also said that you were a really good lawyer in court… but…”

“But?” Phoenix asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Mia said that you lack experience. If I ask you to be my attorney, it’s like asking for a guilty verdict.” Phoenix fell silent. Well, that stung. Granted his past actions, he couldn’t blame Mia for thinking so. but after his first trial… just ouch. “I-I’m sorry! I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Phoenix said with a sigh. He guessed it was true. “But still. I can't just sit back and watch. When I think of what happened to Mia…” His nails were cutting into the palm of his hand.

“I… I know.” She was starting to tear up again. This wasn’t what Phoenix wanted to happen. He had to find some way to distract her from the current situation at hand.

“Um…” There had to be something. The longer he looked at Maya, the more realized something. “Maya? What’s with your clothes?” Maya tugged on the edge of what Phoenix was pretty sure her robes. He knew that some witches dressed strangely, but this was a bit out there, even by magical standards.

“This is my uniform, I guess,” Maya said with a small sniff. “It’s what all the acolytes wear back home.” Maya then went on to explain that she was in training to be a spirit medium. According to her, the Fey family had always be sensitive when it came to the veil that separated the worlds of the living and the dead, something that was only amplified by their magic.

“We can communicate and channel the ghosts that no one else can see," Maya said in conclusion, “The ghosts who don’t choose to be ghosts, so to speak.”

_Yeah… none of that made sense… Wait… Did she say...?_

“You said the Fey family, right?” Maya nodded proudly. “So you mean Mia was into this spirit stuff, too?”

“Of course she was! Well, until she left home anyway. She said it as to ‘follow her career’!... or something like that…” A thought came to mind.

“Wait, Maya! If you can talk to spirits… doesn’t that mean you can… I dunno… talk to Mia? We can just asked her who killed her!” The excitement Maya had gotten was quickly zapped say at the mention of that little idea.

“I-I’m sorry, Mr. Wright. It’s like I said, I’m still in training. I wouldn't do something on that level! I mean, I can barely do magic.” Maya had lowered her voice to keep the guard from overhearing that last bit of information. “I was homeschooled, and I just finished up my studies a few months ago. I only recently started the spiritual aspect of everything so…” Phoenix sighed at Maya’s little confession.

 _I thought that would be too easy._ At least Maya seemed to cheer up… somewhat. The conversation continued, with Maya explaining why she had come to the office in the first place. Mia had asked her to hold onto a piece of evidence for her, most likely for the trial that we supposed to take place today. It was the clock she had received from Larry — the Thinker.

“How could that have been evidence in a case?” Phoenix really wished it wasn’t the murder weapon again. Well… that’s what fate had befallen it anyway.

“Um... right. She said something about that…” Maya tapped her chin, musingover hat Mia had told her. “... Oh! If you want, you can hear it in her own voice.”

“H-Her own voice?!” Maya nodded.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that our conversation is on my cell phone. Mia gave it to me. She said it would… um…” A dark pink tint took over Maya’s face as she hesitated, “he-help us blend in! Yeah! That’s it!” Phoenix had a sneaking suspicion that there was something other than helping the Fey sisters ‘blend in’ with No-Maj society that caused Maya to come in possession of that phone. “A-Anyway, I never figured out how to delete those things.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple. Maya had been stripped of most of her personal items upon being arrested. That included her phone. Phoenix promised to get it from the detective as soon as he could. maya even wrote him a note to serve as a reminder.

“And can you find my… my wand for me?” Maya asked as Phoenix pocketed the note. “I was using it to help me see but I… when I saw Mia I…” She didn’t need to finish that sentence. After all, Phoenix had done the same thing she did when he caught sight of the body.

“Don't worry, Maya. I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you,” said Maya, relieved. “It’s important to me. And if the police find it, I don’t know what I would do.”

 _Okay, so her phone and her wand… shouldn’t be a problem._ That was all Phoenix needed to hear for now. Maya was okay (for now anyway), and he even figured out a little bit about the night of the rime. He was ready to go. And he was about to as well, before Maya called out to him.

“Is something wrong?” Phoenix asked at Maya’s stuttered call.

“Um… I was wondering… could I ask you for another favor?” Maya slipped a second piece of paper under the glass that separated her from Phoenix. “It’s an address of a famous lawyer that Mia gave to me a long time ago. She said if I was ever in trouble, I should call him. And, well, I'm in trouble. Do you think you could go ask him to represent me? Sis was friends with him… I don’t know much about him. but if Mia trusted him, so do I.” Phoenix stared down at the paper.

“I’ll go ask.” he pocketed the address alongside Maya’s memo.

“Thank you so much! I have no one else to turn to…” The drop in Maya’s tone made Phoenix do a double take.

“What about your parents?” Maya’s silence and the fact that she was avoiding looking Phoenix in the eye told all. “Maya? Just how old are you?”

“I’m um… s-seventeen as of March… I’m a legal adult so…” Maya dug her hands into the folds of her skirt, “they aren’t going to try me as one, are they?!”

“I…” Phoenix wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “I don’t know.”

 _Seventeen’s the adult age for witches. But… they do think she committed murder… they might just try her as an adult…_ Maya’s lower lip began to tremble. The stakes were stacking against her. Her sister was dead, and she had been accused of the crime. If she got a guilty verdict….

“Maya, hey,” said Phoenix in a gentler tone, “Don't worry, leave it to me. I’ll go talk to this lawyer for you.”

“Thank you!” May easily wiped away all tears that a formed in her eyes. “The trial starts tomorrow at 10:00.”

“T-Tomorrow?!” Maya nodded. How quick was this investigation going? “What if this lawyer guy refuses?!”

“The state will pick an attorney for me.” Given how most state appointed attorneys were, Phoenix didn’t want to think about what would happen if that were the case. “They’re giving me until 4:00 this afternoon.” Phoenix nodded.

“I’ll be right back. You can count on me, Maya!” Right now, following through with her wishes were all that Phoenix could do for her.

* * *

 

**September 6**

**10:55 AM**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

 

The first thing Phoenix had tired to do was get in touch with that lawyer that Maya had wanted. Unfortunately for him, said lawyer was absent. The attorney didn’t want to waste time waiting. He moved on to the next task upon his list. Phoenix made his way over to Fey & Co. One look inside the office told Phoenix that this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

 _Hopefully they think it’s just some stick or something…_ Her wand and her phone. Phoenix kept that in mind. He snuck past the police (which was made easier due to the color of his suit) and crept into the crime scene. _It has to be around here._

Maya said she dropped it when she saw Mia. He got down on his knees and began to look, trying to avoid looking suspicious to the police. How hard could it have been to find a piece of wood lying on the ground? It took a few minutes, but Phoenix finally found his target. It had rolled underneath Mia’s desk. It had sat there, out of the way of being stepped on and broken. Phoenix sntached it up quickly. well, that was one thing crossed off on his to-do list.

“Hey! You there!” Phoenix jumped at the shout, forgetting where he currently was at the moment. He slammed his head up against Mia’s desk. He hastily slid Maya’s wand next to his own. With both safely hidden from view, Phoenix crawled back out into the open. The person who had caught him was none other than the man who arrested Maya last night.

“This is a crime scene, pal! No trespassing!” The man stared at Phoenix. “Umm... Sorry, don't I know you from somewhere? Wait, you're that Butz guy, aren't you!”

“Uh… no. It’s Wright. Phoenix Wright.” _How can anyone mistake me for Larry?_

“Ah, guess I got the wrong name, Mr. Wright. Sorry 'bout that. That Butz guy, he was a killer! And you're no killer! Right?

“Um… right…” Technically, Phoenix had gotten him acquitted. And Larry wasn’t even the killer in the first place. Phoenix stared at the man before him. Just who was this guy? … he never said his name last night, did he? Oh no. “And you were… um…” The police had to have said it before, right? “Detective…  Um… Yeah, what was your name?”

“My name's Dick Gumshoe... W-Wait! That's Detective Gumshoe to you, pal!” Gumshoe? What kind of name was that? … then again his name was Phoenix. “You're her lawyer, right, pal? If you got business here, you'd better do it quick!” Phoenix smirked. Gumshoe thought he was Maya’s lawyer.

Phoenix used this assumption to his advantage. He managed to get the autopsy report out of Gumshoe, despite the fact that he said he wouldn't. According to it, Mia’s death had been instantaneous. It brought very little comfort to her former employee.

“Um…” said Phoenix as he shut the report. “About Maya…”

“Yeah! I'm looking forward to the trial!” said Gumshoe. “Sorry, pal, but this is one trial you aren't going to win!” Phoenix raised a brow.

“Why do you say that?” Gumshoe seemed so confident about a guilty verdict. What could possibly make him say that even before the trial had—

“The city put Prosecutor Edgeworth on the prosecution!” Tension filled Phoenix in an instant, as if he had just been struck by lightning. Oh.

_Prosecutor… Edgeworth?_

“I'm sure you know what that means, you being a lawyer and all.” A rush of things filled Phoenix’s mind: the small cry of ‘OBJECTION’!, the taste of dirt in Phoenix’s mouth, accidental overnight stays, a heavy chorus of children's laughter, racing round in the backyard, conversations that Phoenix never really understood at the time, an empty seat next to him, unanswered letters, demonizing newspaper articles, that sound of a drawn out dial tone that only ended in a repeating voicemail message. A phantom pain pulsted in his knee.

“Miles Edgeworth…” was all Phoenix repeated. He shook his head to dismiss all of those gathered thoughts.

“That’s right, pal! Mr. Miles Edgeworth himself!” So, Phoenix hadn’t heard wrong. “Wait... you do know him, don't you!?” Phoenix sighed.

“Yeah, I know him. He’s a feared prosecutor who doesn’t feel remorse, he doesn’t feel pain… He won’t stop until he gets a guilty verdict.” At least… that’s what all the articles Phoenix had read said about him.

“Aww, don't talk about him that way. You make him barely sound human!” Still, I'm afraid this pretty much decides the case.” Once again, Gumshoe was right about that. Phoenix bit back a groan. This grew a whole lot harder than he wanted it to be.

 _So, Edgeworth is on this one... He hasn't lost a case since he became prosecutor at the incredibly young age of twenty. Of course, there are rumors of back-alley deals and forged evidence…_ Phoenix sighed. _All I know for sure is that Edgeworth hates crime with an almost abnormal passion._ He shook his head. _Now’s not the time to dwell on that though… I have things to do. Things to get… get… Right. Maya’s phone. I need to get it._

Gumshoe was slightly smarter than Phoenix took him for. He was hesitant about giving Phoenix Maya’s phone. Eventually, Phoenix found a way to get him to hand over the phone, claiming that i had private messages on there from her (made-up) boyfriend. That got Gumshoe to hand over the phone. He had already written down her contacts, but had overlooked the phone call recording.

Accomplishing all that he needed to, Phoenix was ready to leave. however, the detective wasn’t ready to end their conversation just yet.

“I don't suppose you're planning on talking to that witness,” said Gumshoe, stopping Phoenix before he could even turn away. “Anyway, you'd better not! No influencing the witness with your lawyerly ways, pal!”

“The witness?” _She must have been the one who saw me last night…   guess she was the one who called the cops…_

“Yeah, Miss April May,” Gumshoe proudly nodded. “I'm sorry 'bout this... But I can't tell you anything about her!”

“So, what? You sent her home already?” Gumshoe opened his mouth to reply, but laughed instead.

“You're trying your lawyerly tricks on me now! She's not to go outside her room until the trial!” Phoenix smirked. So she as in her hotel room still. Even if he was trying to be careful, Gumshoe still let some information slip through the cracks.

_I guess paying Miss May a visit wouldn’t hurt._

* * *

 

**September 6**

**11:10 AM**

**Gatewater Hotel**

**Room 303**

 

Paying April May a visit proved to be the worst idea Phoenix had that day. She was a rather… promiscuous woman, if Phoenix had to describe her in one word. The other one would be pink. Literally, her hair and most of her clothes were various shades of the olor. Despite her outwards appearance, April May provided to be as stubborn as a mule. Phoenix bit back a groan.

_Memo to self: thank Detective Gumshoe for making my job harder after all…_

He tried to get some answers out of her. Ma responded by pinning Phoenix in place. Small, but strong. And had a way of making Phoenix very uncomfortable. No matter what he said, this woman refused to give him anything he wanted which included her away from him.

“Um…” Phoenix ducked under her arm, stepped away from the dresser May had him backed up against. She turned, leaning against the dresser to face him. Phoenix’s eyes feel upon the open drawer. If May wasn’t going to tell him anything, maybe the drawer would.

 _There's a screwdriver stuck in this drawer. I wonder what's inside? Let's take a look…_ May slammed the drawer shut the moment Phoenix reached for it.

“Hey! What are you doing!? No touching!” May hissed. Phoenix took a step back. “Oooh. Bad boy! Y-you really shouldn't pry around in other people's rooms, now. You wouldn't want to make me upset, would you?”

 _Upset!? I thought she was going to explode for a second there! I wonder what could be inside the drawer?_ An easy solution came to mind. _I wonder if I could…_ He reached for the wand inside of his jacket. His hand froze as familiar words echoed in his head.

 

_“Remember, we are only allowed to use magic outside of the courtroom without a No-Maj watching and/or in a case of self-defense.”_

 

Phoenix sighed, returning his hand down to his side.

 _No. She’s a No-Maj, and this isn’t self-defense. Unless she actually_ does _assault me.  Mia was right… if I want to do this, I have to do this the old-fashioned way! Even if I don’t get the answers I need..._

* * *

 

**September 6**

**3:42 PM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

 

Phoenix was ready to slam his head in a wall. Repeatedly. After that encounter with April May, he finally managed to get a hold of that lawyer Maya wanted to represent her. Grossberg seemed like a good lawyer and a good person at first. the moment Phoenix mentioned Maya’s name, however, Grossberg back off of the case entirely. He flat out refused to defend her, even after he had told Phoenix that Mia was once his apprentice. And now he was willing to let her sister rot in jail?

Phoenix sighed, leaning back in the chair he was stuck in while waiting for Maya. What was he going to tell her? That she had been abandoned? Left alone? Was probably going to end up dying in jail? He groaned, bringing his head down on the table in front of him. This wasn’t going to be easy at all.

“Mr. Wright! You’re back!” Phoenix picked up his head. Maya was sitting in front of him now, a small spark of hope in her eyes. This became a whole lot harder. “Did you find it? You know, the other thing I asked you to find?”

“Yeah. It’s right here.” Phoenix pulled his jacket open enough to show Maya her wand. “Safe with mine and out of sight.”

“Thank you!” said Maya, relieved. Phoenix closed his jacket once again. “You can give it back to me once I’m proven innocent, okay?” Phoenix swallowed down something heavy in his throat. What exactly was he going to tell her? “Huh? Is something wrong? You did find Grossberg, right?”

“Um... well... Well, see…” Maya leaned back in her chair, staring at Phoenix intently. “I... I really don't think you should use that guy. He... didn't seem healthy. He was all skin and bones!” Maya sighed.

“What really happened?” With a heavy heart, Phoenix told her. Maya was silent until the end of his story. She stared down at her lap.

“... I see,” said the Fey with a short sniff. “I’ve been abandoned then.”

“What about your family?” She may not have had any parents, but what about her extended family? Phoenix was pretty sure that Mia mentioned having a cousin once...

“It was just me and Mia… I can’t contact my aunt back home, she refuses to even talk about No-Maj things… My father died when I was little, and I don’t know where my mother is.”

“You don’t know?” Maya nodded. “So she could still be alive then?”

“I guess…” Maya said with a shrug. “After what happened… I don’t blame her for wanting to disappear. About fifteen years ago, our family was involved in an... incident. There was a man, and he... he... He ruined our mother's life. After that, she disappeared. Several years after that, my sister announced she would ‘become a lawyer’ and she left the mountain.” Phoenix couldn’t help but think of what Mia had told him yesterday before he left.

 

 _“This case is the reason I became a lawyer!_ ”

 

Maybe they were related somehow?

“... so, you live by yourself?” Phoenix asked.

“Yeah. I’ve gotten used to it. As soon as I turned seventeen, I became independent! It’s not so bad. I can use my powers freely, so there’s that…” Even if she could use magic without a problem, Phoenix couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She lived on a mountain alone. And she was only seventeen.

Phoenix did his best to distract her. Maya opened up a little bit more about the Fey family, going into detail about the incident that tore her family apart. (Anything to keep her mind off of the current situation at hand.)

There had been a murder case fifteen years ago. Everyone ha been talking about it, though Phoenix couldn’t recall something like that. HIs mother had kept him away fro any news source for a while, though he couldn’t figure out why. According to maya, the police were running out of leads. They grew desperate, and asked Maya's mother, a woman named Misty Fey, to contact the spirit of the victim. Wit that testimony from the victim, the case was solved.

Or so they thought. The man Misty Fey had helped get arrested turned out to be innocent, as proven by his attorney in court. The channelling had been carried out in secret, but a man had found out a leaked it to the public. Misty Fey was labelled a fraud. She became the laughing stock of both the No-Maj and magical nations. She disappeared shortly after that.

“... White…” Phoenix perked up when Maya finished her tale with that word. “That was his name. Mia told me. White.” White? Maya glanced up at the clock mounted on the wall. She sighed. “4:00… Not much longer before the lawyer they gave me shows up…”

He was out of time. Phoenix hsd to make up his mind. He stood, knocking over the chair and startling Maya. Why had he been stalling fo so long? He had already made up his mind hours ago.

“Maya, I’m going to defend you whether you want me to or not!” Maya stared up at Phoenix with wide eyes.

“But… it’s impossible! Why would you want to defend me? You’re going to just lose…”

“Why…?” That was a good question. “Honestly… I don’t know.”

_Is this girl sitting in front of me the killer? There's something about this whole thing that smells... fishy. That witness's strange behavior... was that all an act? And the way that lawyer refused to help out Maya... But more than all that, she has no one left to help her! Nothing is more sad, or more lonely than that. I know... I've been there. A long, long time ago. Someone has to look out for the people who have no one on their side._

 

_“OBJECTION!”_

 

That voice echoed in his head, and Phoenix planted his hands against the table, much like he did to the bench while in court.

“Maya. There’s only one thing I know for certain, and it’s that I’m not going to abandon you. You can count on me. I’ll get you acquitted in no time!”

“Th… Thank you!” Tears were falling from her eyes again. This time, though, Phoenix could tell they weren’t out of sadness. For the first time since they had met, Maya had smiled. She looked like an entirely different person. Phoenix was sure to keep that smile on her face. She was innocent, and he was out to prove it.

* * *

 

**September 6**

**6:52 PM**

**Wright Apartment**

 

Phoenix walked out of the bathroom, draping the towel he had been using to dry his hair around his neck. After a long day of investigating and taking on his first client without Mia, that shower felt like a personal heaven. He sat down on the couch, staring at the evidence he had in front of him. The case file, and a small electronic device sealed safely in a makeshift evidence bag that Phoenix had made out of a sandwich bag. A little research had revealed it was a wiretap.

A wiretap that he had found in April May’s hotel  room. He had snuck back in there to finally see what she was hiding. Lucky for him, she had been in the bathroom at the time. But still.. as he stared at the evidence before him, he wondered what exactly it could mean.

Phoenix stared down at the case file he had been given. He flipped it open. Two photos greeted him: that of the prosecutor, and then the defendant.

 _Miles Edgeworth and Maya Fey. Two people I’d never expected to meet… or meet again._ His eyes fell on the prosecutor’s picture. _How long has it been? ... I’d say about fifteen years. Sounds about right. It was right after break too._ He sighed, leaning back against the couch. _Mhmm.. Maybe I’ll finally get some answers. Like why? Why would… even after what he did… why would he just…?_ A single event played back in Phoenix’s head.

Even while thinking of that memory, Phoenix could taste the dirt in his mouth, and feel the phantom bruises that formed as he was roughly pushed to the ground. He ghosted a hand over his knee. The familiar invisible pain shot up his leg.

 

_“I’m not a freak! I’m normal. Normal!”_

 

_“Leave him alone!”_

 

Phoenix shook his head, breaking the connection. Now wasn’t the time to think about it. It was long ago, there wouldn’t be any reason to think about it now.

_No, Phoenix. Focus. You got to concentrate on saving Maya first. Then you can figure this mystery out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maya Fey is basically the Arthur Weasley of this AU. That's all I have to say. It'll become more apparent as time goes on.


	3. The State v. Fey, 2016

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix stands for the first time in court without someone by his side. He thought that defending Maya would be easy... and it would be too, if every little thing he thought of didn't threaten to expose magic to the world. And Mia made it look so easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trials are a bit frustrating to write. It's harder than it looks to slip in magical moments during them. I guess that's because people are always watching. Well, Nick manages. Somehow, he does.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

**September 7, 2016**

**9:58 AM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 1**

 

Phoenix wished that the circumstances surrounding the trial today weren’t so stressful. He wished this _entire_ _case_ wasn’t so stressful. And yet, he still was here. He was amazed that he hadn’t feld at this point. Someone needed him… and he was about to leave Maya just yet.

_ Last time, Mia was by my side. But today…  _ Phoenix felt his hands clench tightly into a pair of fists.  _ Today, I fight alone…  _ The sound of the door to the courtroom opening and closing snapped Phoenix out of his thoughts. The prosecution had finally arrived.

He was taller than the photos made him look, that’s for sure. His gaze had turned cold, almost like frozen steel. His hair had gone nearly entirely gray, save for a few sole strands. Aside from being older, wearing a reddish-pink suit and some sort of frilly contraption around his neck, Miles Edgeworth looked almost the same as Phoenix remembered him. Almost.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” said Phoenix before he could keep the words from escaping. “Edgeworth?” Edgeworth finally looked over at the defense. The expression on his face was discertainable with the exception of a raised brow. He was simply staring at Phoenix.

“Phoenix? Phoenix Wright?” He sounded confused. Someone hadn’t seen that part of the case file yet. To be fair, Phoenix did take the case last minute. “What in the world are you doing here?”

_ Just wait and see. _

“The court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey.”

“The prosecution is ready, Your Honor.”

“The defense is ready, Your Honor.” Edgeworth stared at Phoenix again as soon as he said ‘the defense’.

_ Miles Edgeworth... I'd better not show any signs of weakness today, or he'll be on me in an instant. _

And so, the trial began. Edgeworth stated that the prosecution had both evidence of Maya’s guilt as well as a witness that saw her kill Mia. He called his first witness to the stand, the detective from the day before — Gumshoe.

Gumshoe went on to describe the facts of the case in detail. Mia’s death had been caused after being struck with a blunt object on the side of the head. As Phoenix suspected, the murder weapon was the clock Larry had given her. Although, Gumshoe referred to it as something else. Phoenix sighed.

_ They're still calling it a "statue"... _

Gumshoe went on with his testimony, claiming that the police had hard evidence that Maya was the culprit. This evidence? It was the witness account from across the way. Someone said that they caught Maya in the act of murdering Mia. Phoenix felt himself freeze like a deer in headlights when the judge gave his the signal to start his cross-examination.

_ Cross-examine what...? I couldn't see a single contradiction in that testimony…  _ Something struck Phoenix in the side of the head _. _ He caught sight of the bailiff forcing Maya back down into the defendant’s seat. A wad of paper landed on the floor next to the attorney. Did Maya throw something at him? He picked it up, unfurling the paper ball.

_ "When my sister couldn't find any contradictions in a witness's testimony she would bluff it and press the witness on every detail! The witness always slips up and says something wrong... It worked lots of times!"  _ Phoenix exchanged a look with Maya. She flashed him an encouraging smile. Phoenix smirked, sliding the note into his pocket.

_ Heh... I should have expected Maya would know some of her sister's tricks! Alright. Let's give this a try! _

With the help of Maya’s advice, Phoenix pressed the detective on his ‘hard evidence’.

“Huh? Did… did I say that?” said Gumshoe. “Me?”

“I heard you say it!” exclaimed Phoenix.

“You did say it.”

“You said it…” said the prosecution with an exasperated sigh.

“Now, tell us,” said Phoenix as the detective laughed nervously. “What exactly about this suspicious woman in pink’s claim was ‘hard evidence?!”

“Wh-What!? Miss May isn't suspicious, and she sure isn't pink, pal!” Gumshoe paused. “W-Well, I guess she is pink…”

“That’s enough, Detective Gumshoe,” said the judge with a small bang of his gavel. “Do you have any more solid proof other than her claims, Detective?”

“Umm…” Phoenix smirked as Gumshoe tried to think of something else. He might have just caught a break.

_ Hmm! I guess pressing can have its advantages! Point for the defense. _

“... Yes.”

_ Dammit.  _ Phoenix groaned. Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy.

The detective continued with his testimony. He had examined the crime scene himself, and discovered a note next to Mia’s body. Written on it in blood (a fact that made Phoenix’s stomach churn) was Maya’s name. The blood was confirmed to be Mia’s and had been found on her finger. Gumshoe claimed that was his ‘hard evidence’.

Phoenix found the problem with said evidence. There was no possible way Mia could have written that note. The autopsy report proved this, as well as Gumshoe’s own words. Her death was immediate, there would have been no time or her to write Maya’s name. Phoenix was confident that his logic was sound.

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth. “Mr. Wright, I beg your pardon, but when exactly did you obtain that autopsy report?”

“I-It was the day after the murder…” What was he doing?

“The prosecution's point beng…?” Edgeworth briefly smirked.

“I’m afraid that autopsy report is outdated, Your Honor.”

“Wh-What?!” Phoenix exclaimed. Oh no, no, no, no! This was not happening.

“A second autopsy was performed yesterday, at my request!” The prosecution began to read aloud from his own copy of the autopsy report. "’Death was almost immediate due to a blow from a blunt object... But there is a possibility the victim lived for several minutes after the blow.’ I received these results this morning.”

“N-No way!” Phoenix groaned again. He knew going up against Edgeworth would be bad but...

“Your Honor! It's quite easy to imagine that the victim did have time to write ‘Maya’! That is all.”

“I see!” 

_ Damn you, Edgeworth! I should have known you'd have something up your sleeve!  _ He focused on the prosecution. What was going on through his head? It was an underhanded tactic, and he knew it.

“Why, Mr. Wright?” said Edgeworth, that smirk of his not disappearing any time soon. “You look shocked! Something you want to say?” There was only one thought in Phoenix’s mind.

“Mr. Edgeworth…” Words were drenched in bitterness. “I've heard that there’s nothing you won’t do to get your verdict… What reason could you possibly have to request a second autopsy report?” There was a flicker — a brief moment where Edgeworth’s confidence dropped to show a bit of shock of his own. The judge slammed his gavel once to get Phoenix to back down from verbally assaulting the prosecution. A copy of the report was given to the defense, making the one he had in his court record obsolete.

“The prosecution would like to call its next witness. This poor, innocent girl saw the murder with her own eyes!”

“ Let the witness Miss April May take the stand.” Phoenix nearly shuddered at the name, the memory of the brief encounter coming back into his mind. The witness took to the stand, her shirt buttoned down a bit too far and her skirt way shorter than it should be.

_ Exactly what part of her is "innocent"...?  _ April May gave her name, winking towards the gallery as she did. There were some cries, and Phoenix was even certain that he heard a cat-call. He groaned for the third time that morning.

_ This is not good... She's already captured the heart of nearly every man and woman in the court! _

May began her testimony, trying to (and failing to) win over the prosecution with her sweet appearance. She said that around nine o’clock on the night of Mia’s death, she had seen a woman with long hair being attacked by a small girl. According her, Mia had dodged and tried to get away, but Maya caught up and struck her. That’s all she claimed to see. Phoenix was prepared to give his cross-examination when the judge tried to let the witness leave.

“I thought the witness’s testimony just now was quite… firm, didn’t you?” said the judge when Phoenix raised an objection. This scenario seemed all too familiar for Phoenix’s liking...

“Mr. Wright,” said Edgeworth. “I understand that you were Ms. Mia Fey’s understudy, were you not?” Phoenix slowly nodded. “You must know her techniques quite well, then. Her cowardly way of finding tiny faults in perfectly good testimonies…”

“H-Hey! How dare you!” First it as the autopsy thing, and now he was insulting Mia? Mia Fey is….  _ was _ one of the best defense attorneys in the state, Phoenix could attest to that himself. Not only that, but she was an amazing person. Why would he say such a thing?! He never even knew her!

“Well, Mr. Wright?” said the judge. “Will you cross-examine the witness?” Phoenix glared at the prosecution.

“I will gladly proceed with my cross-examination!”

_ If only because I have a feeling Edgeworth doesn't want me to! She has to have some weakness!  _ He sighed, trying to calm the rising anger in his blood.  _ Okay, Phoenix. Think about it… ask something! _

“How… How did you know it was my client?”

“Huh?” May blinked as she processed Phoenix’s question. “Well, I... gee! First of all, she had a girl's physique! And, and secondly, she was... she was small! Who else could it be but her!”

_ She has a point…  _  Phoenix stared at the layout of the crime scene he had been given. It showed where the body was, where all the evidence was found… some glass shards, the note… Phoenix backtracked to the glass shards. He could clearly remember what he found among them that night. I wasn’t something he was going to easily forget.

_ Wait… if she did see Maya kill Mia… Mia’s wand… she would have noticed her casting a spell or at least taking it out! Why hasn’t she mentioned that…? Anyone would have been freaked out! but.. Dammit!  _ Phoenix wanted to scream.  _ I can’t raise an objection about that… and I’m pretty sure that April May isn’t a witch. Mia had a list of all magical people living in L.A, and I made sure her name wasn’t on it. Crap…  _  Phoenix sighed.  _ But it's all I got to work with… _

“There’s something wrong with your testimony!” Phoenix claimed.

“W-What?!”

“Miss May, I’m willing to bet that you’re hiding something from this court. Did you really see the moment of the murder?” May emitted a sound that Phoenix swore was a growl.

“Mr. Wright!” said the judge. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Yes, what is the meaning?” May sounded aggressive. She cleared her throat before falling back into her cutesy-persona. “Somebody tell me because I’m clueless! About this, I mean!”

“Okay…” Phoenix felt his face flush. “Um…”

_ Why did I open my mouth? I can’t say that she didn’t see Mia cast a spell. Everyone would think I was crazy, I’d be stripped of my badge in a heartbeat and sent to the mental hospital. Think! What’s something else May would have noticed?  _ Phoenix glanced over at his client.  _ … Maya… She said she saw Maya right? … you know, I’m surprised she said nothing about Maya’s clothes. That was the first thing that I noticed.  _ His eyes widened.  _ Wait… that’s it! _

Phoenix brought up the topic of Maya’s clothes. Her strange appearance would have been something May surely would have noticed. When the topic of whether or not Maya had been dressed this way the night of the murder, Phoenix claimed that she had. Both his testimony and Gumshoe’s could attest to this.

May promised to be good before amending her testimony. Phoenix grit his teeth. He had been so close! May continued testifying, saying that nothing had changed from her previous testimony. Mia ran, Maya gave chase and then hit her with the Thinker clock.

_ Wait… clock? _

“Miss May, what you said now was quite…” Phoenix grinned, “revealing.”

“Revealing? Oooh, you'd like that, wouldn't you. Naughty Mr. Lawyer…” Phoenix bit back an irritated groan.

_ Not on your life.  _ He sighed, shaking his head.

“No, it’s just that… what you said. You said that this statue of the Thinker was a clock.” Phoenix gestured to the clock that was laid out in the middle of the courtroom along with the rest of the evidence. “However, there’s no way of knowing that just by looking at it!” Phoenix was certain he heard her briefly girl this time. “You know… another person in the same position as you recently called this a clock too… and he was found guilty of murder!” The courtroom erupted into noise.

“Miss May,” continued Phoenix. “Can you explain how you know this was a clock?” May growled again. She opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut off by a loud OBJECTION!.

“The witness saw the murder with her own eyes!” said Edgeworth, repeating Miss May’s claim. “that’s all that is important here! The defense is simple trying to confuse the issue with his trivial concerns!”

“Yes... yes, of course. You will withdraw your question, Mr. Wright.”

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix shouted, slamming a hand on the bench. “Questions are all I have, Your Honor! And as you may recall, I’ve caught murderers with these questions before!”

_ Well, it had only been once. But I’ve only had one trial. Give me a break. _

The judge sustained Edgeworth’s objection. And so, May was left with no choice but to answer the question. She claimed that she had heard the clock say the time from her hotel room Edgeworth backed this up, as the hotel May was staying at and Fey & Co. Law Offices were fairly close to each other. Phoenix claimed it was impossible for May to have heard the clock ,period. Something Maya had told him stood out in his mind. He revealed that the clock was missing its clockwork.

“How could you possibly…?” Phoenix ignored the judge. He crossed over to the table where the evidence was laid out. He picked up the clock in his own hands.

“Just have a look… as soon as you can…” Phoenix tried to take the bottom of the clock off. It didn’t pop off as he expected it to… the screws were on too tight. “Dammit…” He really had no given choice here. The attorney tried to make it look as casual as possible as he crossed back to the defense's bench, struggling with the clock the entire time.

Hopefully no one saw this. Behind the safety of the defense’s bench, Phoenix let the clock slip through his fingers. The court stared at him as it clattered to the ground.

“Did…” said a confused Edgeworth, “Did you just  _ drop _ evidence?”

“Whoops, sorry about that!” Phoenix said quickly, faking a sheepish reaction. “Butter fingers.” He dropped down quickly, grabbing the clock and ducking behind the safety of the bench. After making sure no one could see him, Phoenix withdrew his wand from his jacket. All it took was a little spell to get the screws to come undone. He tucked the instrument away before getting back on his feet. With the help of a small bit of magic, the bottom of the clock came off with ease.

“Now, Your Honor,” said Phoenix, giving the murder weapon to the judge. “Take a look at the clock.”

Just as Phoenix had claimed, the clock was empty. He exposed the witness’s lies for what they were… or so he thought until he heard a snide chuckle coming from the prosecution. Edgeworth claimed that, although the clock is empty now, there was no way to prove that the clock as empty at the time of the murder. Unfortunately for him, Phoenix still had a card to play. He pulled out Maya’s phone.

“You have girly phone!” May teased, snickering at the evidence Phoenix presented.

“W-Wait! Wait! This isn’t mine!” Phoenix sighed. “This belongs to my client. It contains a recording of a conversation she had with the victim on the day of the murder!”

“What?!” exclaimed Edgeworth, his eyebrow twitching at this revelation. “This… This wasn’t brought to my attention!”

“Perhaps Detective Gumshoe overlooked it?” Phoenix heard Edgeworth grumble something about Gumshoe’s employee evaluation.

_ My heart goes out to you, Edgeworth. Not.  _ Phoenix struggled with the phone before he finally found the recording Maya was talking about the day before. He played the conversation for the court to hear.

_ “I gotcha. So, what is it this time?” _

_ “It's... a clock.” _

_ “A clock?” _

_ “Yeah, it's made to look like that statue, ‘The Thinker’. And it tells you the time! I thought you might like it. You always liked No-Maj types things. Ah, I should probably tell you, the clock isn't talking right now _ — _ ” _

Phoenix fumbled with the phone before he finally managed to cut the recording off. A robotic voice announced that the call was made nearly twelve hours before Mia died — at 9:27 that morning. However, that’s not what Phoenix cared about. It was what Mia had said in the call.

“No-Maj?” said the Judge, repeating the one word Mia just had to use when talking to Maya. “What did she mean by that?”

“O-Oh!” suttered Phoenix. He had to think up of something and fast. “Th-That? I-it’s just… um…” He exchanged a nervous glance with Maya, who looked just as panicked as he. “It’s just code! A language made up between sisters, if you get what I mean.”

“... that’s a rather strange way for sisters to speak to one another…”

“Your Honor, if I might add,” interrupted Prosecutor Edgeworth, sounding a bit ticked off about the call’s contents, “My own sister and I developed our own sort of language when we were children. It’s quite common for siblings that are close to each other to do such a thing.”

_ You have a sister? Since when? You’re an only child!  _ Phoenix shook his head. He’ll have to find answer for that later. Saving Maya now was his only goal. Whatever was going on, the judge seemed to buy it.

Whatever the case, the recording had proved that the clockwork was long gone by the time Mia was murdered. May was starting to slip. She stuttered as she tried to play it off as having seen the clock in a store before. Phoenix proved that impossible too, due to the fact that the clock had been handmade. Only two of them existed, and the other one was in police custody.

Then May let out a scream, slamming a hand down on the witness stand.

“What's it to you, porcupine-head!?” she growled. “That stupid clock doesn't matter, okay!? She did it! And she should die for it! Die!” Phoenix took a small step back. Yes, May’s behavior was all too familiar and made Phoenix more uncomfortable. Pink was far too close to red for his tastes.

“W-W-Whoa! Let's not get ahead of ourselves,” said the judge, more vocal about his fear compared to Phoenix. “T-This is a court of law, and the witness will remain calm!” May laughed nervously, probably realizing what she had done.

“S-Silly me!” said May before clearing her throat. “Did I, um, like... lose it? I guess I did.” Phoenix felt a shiver run down his spine.

_ She is terrifying... _

Due to her outburst, May was asked to testify about how she knew the truth behind the clock. When she remained silent, the question fell to Phoenix to answer. He had a faint idea, and sincerely hoped his logic was sound. Once again, Phoenix presented Maya’s phone, playing the conversation for the court again. It had mentioned the Thinker. The only question now was how May knew about that before the trial.

Phoenix had a second card to play. He had wondered what the wiretap was used for, and now he knew why. He presented it to the court. 

“I found this in Miss May’s room yesterday,” said Phoenix as the wiretap was accepted into evidence. Edgeworth stared at the wiretap, a somewhat confused look on his face.

“What is that?” He asked. Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

“You seriously don’t know what this is?” With a small bit of hesitance, Edgeworth nodded.

_ Oh, he is serious. I mean… I had to look it up myself but still. _

“Mr. Wright! Please explain to the court what this is!” Phoenix sighed at the judge’s demand.

“It’s a wiretap, Your Honor,” Phoenix said, recalling the information he had looked up the night before. “It’s a device that someone can use to listen in on phone conversations. Miss April May!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench. “You used the wiretap to listen in on this conversation! That’s how you knew the Thinker was a clock! Well? Am I wrong?”

“I… I…” She just had to say it. She had to say it, and her testimony… she could possibly just be…?

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth. “Your Honor, this is ridiculous!”

“Your Honor, look at the witness's face? Does she seem amused to you!?” May looked like she was about ready to tear Phoenix’s head off. “The defense demands an answer.” The judge sided with the defense on this one, demanding that the witness explain.

“Witness, answer the question. Did you tap her phone?” May was silent, her body shaking with anger and teeth bared. The judge hit his gavel once. “Miss May!”

“Shut up, all of you!” snapped May. “What gives you the right to talk to  _ me _ like that! You... you  _ lawyer _ !” The courtroom was silent, with several people staring at May in shock. Sweat began to bead on her forehead. “I-It's no fair! All of you g-ganging up on me like that... Oh, so I'm the bad girl, is that it? Is that it!?” She tried to fake crying, but it was too late.

_ That did it! The court's seen the real Miss April May now! Now to deal the final blow!  _ Phoenix brought a hand down on the bench.

The evidence was all in place. Phoenix asked May to confess to killing Mia now. No matter what he said, May refused to. She claimed to have proof that she wasn’t Mia’s killer. Around 9:00 on the night of the murder, May had been getting room service from one of the bellboys.

“Ergo, the witness was not on the scene at the time of the murder!” said Edgeworth, concluding May’s testimony. A string of curses flooded Phoenix’s head.

“So, where does that leave us...?”

“It is my great displeasure to inform you... That the witness appears to have been tapping the victim's telephone. However! That is a separate crime, with no bearing on the current case whatsoever! Her testimony stands! She saw the defendant, Maya Fey, commit murder!”

_ No! They're going to let her just walk away! There's no way I can win this unless I tie Miss May to the murder somehow... _

“Well, does the defense have anything to say?”

_ Come on, think of something! … Ah-ha! That’s it!  _ It was ridiculous, but it was the only ammo Phoenix had to save Maya.

“The defense would like to all the hotel bellboy to the stand!” There was an outcry of various ways to state the phrase ‘what’.

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth, nearly ready to tear Phoenix’s head off himself. “I object to calling the bellboy!” The prosecution claimed that the wiretapping had nothing to do with the killing. However, he was willing to allow Phoenix to call the bellboy to the stand if he agreed to one thing: if he couldn’t find a problem with May’s alibi, then he would be forced to accept a guilty verdict for Maya.

_ What...!? I'd better find something suspicious in that bellboy's testimony... Otherwise Maya will be declared "guilty" on the spot! What should I do...?  _ Phoenix sighed. _ Alright! I've got nothing to lose! Except for... well, everything! _

“Understood. I accept your condition.”

“Fool,” said the prosecution with a soft laugh. “You fell right into my trap!” Phoenix was starting to have second thoughts.

“No, wait—!”

“Very well!” said the Judge before Phoenix could continue any further. “The court will take a recess to retrieve the hotel bellboy!”

* * *

 

**September 7**

**12:29 PM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 1**

 

Phoenix stared down at his court record. He was waiting with the utmost patience for the bellboy to get here. In the meantime… while looking for evidence, he had noticed on thing that was a big contradiction to his own memory.

“Hey, Mr. Wright…” said Maya as she sat down next to her lawyer. She was still incredibly tense, and Phoenix couldn’t blame her. There had been several close calls in there. “What are you doing?”

“Something’s off… May’s testimony, the court record…” Phoenix sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Neither of them mentioned one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Mia… There were glass shards in the room, on the floor.”

“Yeah… I noticed those…” Maya ran a finger over a healing cut on the palm of her hand. “Cut myself on them too when I heard you come in the room…” How did he not notice  _ that _ earlier? Phoenix shook his head.

“I found the broken halves of her wand among them.”

“Her… Her wand?” There was no way to ignore the heartbreak in Maya’s words.

“She tried to fight back, Maya. The Mia we know would only use magic on another person in self-defense. She tried to fight back against her killer.” Maya stared at the floor, quiet as a mouse. Phoenix wasn’t sure what to do in the situation. How exactly was he supposed to comfort her?

_ I thought that would reassure her… but... _

“What I don’t get is why it’s missing…” Phoenix muttered with a sigh.

“Her wand?” Maya lifted her head a little. Phoenix nodded.

“I saw the officers bag it. They probably thought it was evidence or something but..” Phoenix flipped though the record once again.

“But what?”

“It’s not in the case file I was given.” Phoenix snapped the file shut. Nowhere on the record did it state even a stick was found near the body. At least a stick that wasn’t part of Mia’s houseplant. “It gives me every little piece of evidence down to the murder weapon and the glass shards. But… her wand isn’t in here.”

“That’s strange. Maybe they just thought to get rid of it. It does look like an ordinary stick.”

“Maybe,” Phoenix sighed. The trial was called to reconvene. As he and Maya returned to the cortom, the absence of Mia’s wand was still bugging Phoenix.

_ I can’t help but feel… it was so close to her body. They must have run some sort of test on it. Blood, fingerprints… something. Her killer probably touched it too. They broke it. But why wouldn’t it be in the evidence? Something strange is going on here… _

* * *

 

**September 7**

**12:40 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 1**

 

Phoenix’s second thoughts were starting to return as the trial reconvend. The bellboy had apparently come straight from work to give his testimony today. Though, he didn’t seem to have an qualms about being called so suddenly like this.

“That tea set looks rather heavy, so without further ado, the witness may begin his testimony.”

The bellboy told the court that May had asked for ice coffee around 8:0 that evening. She asked that it be brought to her precisely at 9:00. That’s when he did it, and the one who answered the door was Miss May herself.

_ I hope... This is it... If I can't prove Miss May was involved with the murder now... Maya will be finished! _

Phoenix pressed the witness on each one of his statements. The bellboy knew it was at 9:00 due May’s insistence about that time. She was quite particular about that. He also was absolutely sure that it was May who answered the door. The memory had been burned into his mind by the small peck on the cheek May had given him as means of thank you. There had to be some reasons that she did all that… but what was it?

_ It’s no good! There's nothing there! Is... is that it!?  _ He heard Edgeworth laugh across the courtroom.

“Finally, you understand,” he said. “This bellboy has absolutely no reason to lie! Now... If you have any decency, you will end this rather tedious cross-examination here!”

“Hmm. It was a bit tedious. The witness may leave the stand.”

_ I can't let this happen... can I?  _ Phoenix slammed his hands on the bench.

“W-Wait!” he said, borderline begging. “Please, wait!”

“Yes? Does the defense have something to add?” Phoenix couldn’t give up now. He wouldn’t sit back and let Maya get a guilty verdict.

“One last question. Please. Just let me ask one last question!”

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth, teetering on the edge of irritation. “This charade of justice has gone on long enough!”

“Now, now, Mr. Edgeworth. Alright Mr. Wright,” the judge sighed, “I'll give you one more question, that's all.” One more question was all Phoenix needed. He had to make it count.

_ Okay. This is really it, now. This is my last chance! What do I ask him about...!? _

Phoenix chose to ask about the check in. The bellboy had been the one to do it, and that despite Miss May’s beautiful appearance, he had been quite disappointed. He barely had a chance with her with May’s lover checking in with her. Wait, what? May… someone was with her?!

“Why didn’t you mention this in your testimony?!” Phoenix asked.

“W-Well, sir, you er... you didn't ask!”

“That's the sort of thing you're normally supposed to mention!”

“Ah, yes, quite. Indeed... It was the, er, good barrister there, Mr. Edgeworth, who…” Phoenix didn’t need to hear the rest. There was a look in Edgeworth’s eye. Things weren’t going according to his plan. “He asked me not to mention it if I wasn't specifically asked, sir.”

_ I've done it... I've won! _

The facts were clear. April May checked into a room with a man on the night of the murder. When the bellboy brought room service to her, the man was absent. Phoenix claimed that it was impossible to judge Maya at that time due to the involvement of an unknown third person.

“Don’t you agree, Mr. Edgeworth?” said Phoenix to the prosecution when he was done. Edgeworth slammed a fist down on the bench.

“Who!” he snapped. “Who is this other person?!”

“Simple, it was the man who checked in with Miss May!” Why else would May hide the existence of this person from the court? May had been tapping Mia's phone, but she had an alibi for the murder. However, that did not clear the man who was with her. A man who had been missing at 9:00, only three minutes after Mia died.

“M-My, what a convenient little setup…” said Edgworth, trying to regain lost composure. “But it’s too late.”

“Too late? I supposed you’d like it if it were too late, wouldn't you, Edgeworth? After all, it was you who tried to hide the presence of this other man from the court!” Edgeworth grit his teeth together, glaring daggers in Phoenix’s direction.

“Upstart… amatuer!” To say that he was mad was an understatement. “Th-These accusations are… are ludicrous!” Before Edgeworth could rant any further, the judge brought his gavel down to silence the prosecution.

“Enough! The court acknowledges the defense's argument. I expect the prosecution and defense to look into this matter fully! Am I understood?”

“Tch… Yes… Yes, Your Honor.” Edgeworth’s piercing gaze had not left the defense. After all that he read, Phoenix knew that Edgeworth ran only perfect trials. This trial was far from perfect. Things were not going in his favor, and the prosecution was livid. Phoenix, on the other had, was relieved. He had managed to get his way through the trial and somehow gotten another day. It was one more day. One more day that Maya could live.

“That is all today for the trial of Maya Fey. Court is adjourned!”

* * *

 

**September 7**

**2:24 PM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 1**

 

Maya seemed more cheerful with the trial’s outcome than her lawyer. She was waiting for him in the defendant's lobby with a wide smile on her face.

“Mr. Wright!” said Maya with stars in her eyes. “You were amazing in there!”

“R-Really?” He wouldn't tell if she was faking it and just trying to make him feel better after his performance just now, or if Maya’s reaction to the trial was a hundred percent genuine.

“I think I might be your newest fan!”

“Oh…” That would make her his only fan. “I was just doing my job, Maya.” Something told Phoenix that Maya had never seen a court trial before… that might be one of the reasons he and Maya never met before now that he thought about it.

“Then again, the other attorney was pretty cool, too…” Huh? “That face of his! With his eyes wide, and trembling lips! It sent shivers up my spine!” Maya’s description wasn’t… far from accurate. It caused a dusting of pink to appear on Phoenix’s face.

“If you say so.” Maya stared at Phoenix for a moment, and raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“O-Oh. Nothing… nothing…” She sighed, staring down at the floor. “Um… Mr. Wright? What’s going to happen to me? Do I get to go home now?”

“Well… no. I don't think so.” Unless Maya could pay bail somehow. Considering she couldn't get in contact with her only living family, that possibility was out the window. “Not yet, at least.”

“Oh… I see…”

“But!” Maya picked her head up. “But, I did get a great lead on the trial today.” Phoenix explained that his theory was that the man who checked in with May had something to do with Mia’s murder. All Phoenix had to do was go down to the detention center and talk with May about this matter after they finished processing her arrest.

“This case is far from closed,” said Phoenix with a hint of determination. “I'm going to find out more about this man.”

“Do you think he was the one who…?” Phoenix sighed as Maya bit down her lip.

“Maybe so..” 

“Sis…” Maya sniffled a little. Phoenix hesitated before putting a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t back away from him.

“Don’t worry, Maya. I’ll find him. I promise!” The bailiff called for Maya. It was time for her to go.

“I’m counting on you!” The door shut, sepating Phoenix from his client. The attorney sighed. It was going to be a long day. He had to find definitive evidence of Maya’s innocence, or that man… that man would get away with murder.

It was time to hit the pavement and start investigating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things will never be easy for Phoenix Wright, and the next chapter only proves that a little more.


	4. Red, White and Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Any normal person would have just kept their mouths shut. Then again, Phoenix isn't your normal person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I love the investigation portions. It makes it so much easier to write magic into the mix.  
> Although this time... I don't think that's a good thing.

**September 7, 2016**

**3:11 PM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

 

Phoenix was regretting this decision the moment April May was brought to him in the detention center. Her glare alone could cut a diamond in half. Or Phoenix in half if she tried hard enough.

“I didn't expect anyone to visit me in such a dank place as this... It's really quite... moving.” She scoffed at him. “Not! You stinking lawyer! I hope you die! Have you come to laugh? Yes, laugh at the fallen Miss May!”

“No… Not really,” Phoenix said with a sigh. “There’s just something that I wanted to ask you.”

“Unfortunately, there is nothing I want to  _ be _ asked. Haven't you done enough questioning, you...! Spiky-head!”

_ Here we go again…  _ Phoenix sighed once more. The last time a woman was this mad at him was… something he would rather forget, honestly.

“Please, you’re scaring the security guard…”  _ And me a little. _

“... So? What is it you wish to ask of me, then? Hmm?”

_ For starters, how did you get to be so totally whacked!? _

Phoenix tried to ask her something. He tried to get her to answer  _ anything _ that would help Maya’s case. Unfortunately May was as stubborn as a mule. She refused to answer any question Phoenix asked, opting to insult him instead. This woman was impossible to talk to.

_ I can't tell, does she have a thing against lawyers... or just against me? _

 

* * *

 

 

**September 7**

**4:13 PM**

**Gatewater Hotel**

**Room 303**

 

Phoenix stared down at the photo he had swiped from Grossberg's office as he made his way back towards May’s hotel room. The man would have provided good answers (or at least  _ some _ answer) as to why he couldn’t defend Maya the day before. He must have had a good reason, right? Unfortunately, the boss man was absent. And Phoenix just so happen to see a pair of pictures on his desk. And swiped one of them.

Why Phoenix took this one… he had no idea. It was just a picture of a pompous looking man. He stowed the photo away into his pocket when he found May’s hotel room. If she wouldn’t tell him anything about the man she checked in with… well… Phoenix would just have to find it himself. Even if he had to do it by unnatural means. He opened the door, reaching for his wand when he was greeted by the familiar face of the bellboy from the trial.

“Ah, welcome, sir! “ said the bellboy the minute the door opened, making Phoenix yelp. “Quite the performance today, if I dare say so myself.”

“Um… thanks?” He was just pulling things out of thin air, his defense wasn’t really all that impressive. “Oh, and um… Sorry for putting you on the spot like that.”

“No, no, not at all, sir! Your efforts today can only help the Gatewater's ‘rep,’ as they say.” Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

“Rep?” he repeated. What was this guy talking about?

“Yes! Our reputation will swell as the hotel where the murderer used a wiretap! We can charge a premium for the room, of course. It will be great for business, sir!” What?! He knew this guy wasn’t in the earlier moments of the trial, but come on!

“Whoa, whoa! Miss May hasn't been charged with murder!” The bellboy wasn’t listening.

“I, too, will become famous! ‘The Bellboy who brought the murderer ice coffee’...!”

_ Why do I feel like we're both stuck in the same bad dream…?  _ Phoenix groaned.  _ If this is a bad dream, then I really want to wake up. _

The bellboy was a bit more cooperative than May had been. He offered any information he could to the person he considered to be an ‘honored guest’. He claimed that the moment he saw Miss May, the bellboy knew she would have done it. Maybe the bellboy was more suspicious than the man who May checked in with, which had been the next thing Phoenix asked about.

“Ah, yes... He struck me as a real ‘lady killer,’ if you'll pardon the expression. I knew it from the moment I saw him, sir. He and I are of the same ilk. We both carry the scent of... danger.”

_ There we are in total agreement, Mr. Psycho Bellboy. _

“If you had a photo of that man, I'm quite sure I could identify him.”

_ A photo. Hmm… _ Phoenix stuck his hand in his pocket. He felt the photo he swiped from Grossberg brush up against his hand. He smirked. _ I might have just the thing… _

Phoenix presented the photo to the bellboy. It took only one glance at the photo for the bellboy to confirm the man’s identity. While Phoenix didn’t get a name, he did get the information he wanted. He knew what the man looked like. The bellboy even offered to write an affidavit (an offer Phoenix took), stating that the man was the one that May checked in with.

_ Not even Miss May can play dumb to this! _

 

* * *

 

 

**September 7**

**4:29 PM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitors Room**

 

Miss May was not happy with Phoenix's return to the detention center. She was as snappy as an angry guard dog, going as far as to insult Phoenix’s hair again. Even if he didn’t want to interact with her any further, the attorney had to know the full extent of what went down on the night of the fifth. He presented the photo to May.

She fell quiet. Her eyes were wide, and she started to stutter. There was the reaction Phoenix had been looking for. He showed the affidavit to May when she refused to say anything else without proof. Phoenix pressured her, and May was finally willing to talk.

_ Yes! Man, that felt good! It's great to be alive! _

“Why are you pumping your fists in the air?” Phoenix felt his body temporarily freeze in said position. He coughed, trying to over up the action before slowly returning his arms to his side.

“C-Can you tell me about the man you were with?” May sighed before telling her story.

The man she was with that night was her boss, a man named Redd White (a name which Phoenix remembered as the one Maya had mentioned it the day before). According to her, White was the president of a company that gathered information called Bluecorp. When Phoenix tried to get more information out of her, May refused to say anything, claiming that she was scared that she would end up like “her”. Phoenix didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. May wouldn’t even tell him where Bluecorp was located.

_ Mr. Redd White, at last! Finally, a lead on this guy! If April May couldn't have done it, that leaves him! Time to take action! I wonder if Mia had anything on this guy that might help… he might have been the person who ruined her mother. Wait… there’s one more thing… _

“I have one more question to ask.” May simply gave him a look before he continued. “When you were tapping Ms. Fey’s phone, you didn’t happen to hear… anything unusual?”

“...un...usual?” May repeated. Phoenix gave her a nod.

“Anything that you didn’t understand. Maybe a phrase or a word that didn’t make much sense? Like on the recording.” There was something inside of Phoenix that hoped May didn’t hear anything. But, given current evidence, there was a possibility May heard something that she shouldn’t have. “I know Mia has a strange way of talking so… It’s just for curiosity’s sake.” May stared at the table in front of her.

“...now that you mention it…” she mused, “her sister did say something weird… I just thought it was some sort of sister code, like what you and that prosecutor said…. but… after what I saw—!” May bit down on her lip to cut herself off.

“What you saw?” May nodded.

“There was something unnatural about Mia Fey. I… I don’t think… she created this beam of light and…!” Phoenix felt a small amount of sweat prick the back of his neck. That was more than he could brush off as some sort of casual nonsense.

“I’m sure it was just your imagination.” Phoenix quickly stood. “Thank you again for your help.” He hurried out of the detention center with a small sigh. Great, this just got more difficult. Oh well… there was some solidaterity in his visit. Mia did fight back. He sighed again. That didn’t change the current fact.

_ There’s one person that needs to have their memory altered once this mess is all over... _

 

* * *

 

 

**September 7**

**5:44 PM**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

 

It was kind of funny, Phoenix thought to himself as he stood in the office of Fey & Co. The police were no longer here, and some of the crime scene had been cleaned up already. It all just seemed so… normal. It was hard to imagine that a murder had taken place here nearly two days ago. But still, Phoenix had a job to do. He was certain that this mysterious, murderous Redd White was the killer. And the evidence was somewhere in the office. Phoenix took the boxes of files Mia had stacked around her office, placing them on top of the desk that once belonged to her. 

He was never more relieved that magic existed.

Phoenix popped his wand out of the confines of his jacket. Normally, it would take a few hours to look at all these files by hand. But with a bit of magic, things would go a lot smoother. With a swish and a flick, the boxes opened. The files came out, each hovering in the air at around Phoenix’s eye level. 

_ I never realized how many files Mia had exactly…. _ the room was just about filled with them now. It made sense, considering that the files were of every single case Mia had worked on.

Diving right in, Phoenix grabbed a file that was floating in front of him. It was incredibly thick — thicker than most of the files thus far. Curiosity got the better of him. He snatched it out of the air and flipped it open. It was the file labelled with a sharp ‘S’. A cluster of the file were articles. All of them were suicide reports.

“Suicide?” Phoenix muttered aloud. Why would Mia have these? Getting curiouser, Phoenix decided to read through them. The reports were lists of politicians, policemen, celebrities… groups of people that Phoenix never expected to be grouped together like this. Written in the margins was a single, repeated word. White. And all of the scribbles were done in Mia’s handwriting. The more Phoenix read, the more started to fall into place.

_ Wait, I get it! Mia thought he was involved in these "suicides"! White drove them all to…  _ Phoenix tightened his grip on his wand. _ ... I can use these newspaper clippings. Hmm... let's find the most disturbing one… _ He snatched one of the articles from the flie, shoving it into his pocket before leaving the remainder on the abandoned desk.

Phoenix wandered around the maze of files before he finally came across the one file he was looking for. He snatched the ‘W’ file out of the air. Finally. He had found the evidence he was looking for. With this, he should be able to—!

The file was empty. And Phoenix felt like screaming. He would have to, if it wasn’t for the door opening, followed by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Phoenix jumped, nearly dropping his wand in the process. With this concentration broken, the spell had broke as well. Files dropped onto the floor, sending papers and manila folders everywhere. Phoenix sighed. That was going to take hours to clean up and re-file, even  _ with _ magic.

_ Ah, that old familiar clearing of the throat…  _ Phoenix tucked his wand away before turning to face the man who had just entered. Judging by his expression, Grossberg hadn’t seen anything. Phoenix kept his fingers crossed that he didn’t question the papers all over the floor.

“Um, hello, Mr. Grossberg.” Phoenix could feel his nerves still pricking the back of his neck. That had been too close for comfort. There was a pause before Grossberg responded to him.

“Well, well. You were quite the thing, my boy.” Phoenix blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“The trial! The trial!” He had been there? Wait… he refused to defend Maya, but came to the rial anyway? “Reminded me of myself when I was a youth! It brings back memories, it does! ‘Ah... the days of my youth... like the scent of fresh lemon…’” There was another uncomfortable pause. “...You see. ... I apologize.” Phoenix raised an eyebrow.  “I... It was all a bit too much for me, my boy. Seeing you today, I... well, I…” Phoenix sighed.

_ I appreciate the reminiscing, but I'd much rather you gave me some information! _

“So…” Phoenix got down, starting to gather up the fallen papers. He would have time to fix the mixed-up damage done later. “You came to see the trial?”

“Yes, yes I did. Something was bothering me all last night, you see. I couldn't get a wink of sleep.”

“Really?” It wasn’t like Phoenix had to ask, he could have guessed it was some sort of guilt trip. “What was that?”

“Well, you see, it's just... Mia's sister, that poor girl.” So, Phoenix’s shot in the dark was right. “My boy, I owe you my thanks, truly. I don't know what I would have done if things had gone poorly for the girl.”

_ If you were that worried about it, why didn't you offer to defend her!? _

“I asked before, but, why did you refuse her request for defense?” Phoenix said, dropping what he had collected on the desk. “I think I have a right to know.”

“A right, Mr. Wright?” Phoenix nodded. “No, no, I'm sorry. It's just, I need more time to think about it, my boy.” Crap.

_ He does seem troubled about something... Maybe I can find something that will inspire him to talk.  _ Phoenix slid his hand into his pocket with a near-sigh. He felt something brush up against his hand.  _ Actually… maybe I do have something that will get him to talk… _

Taking another shot in dark, Phoenix presented the photo he took from Grossberg’s office to him. It got some reaction out of the man (mostly because Phoenix had stolen it). But the greatest reaction came from when Phenix revealed that the man in the photo was the sam one who had been with Miss May the night Mia was murdered. To say Grossberg was shocked (and needed it confirmed several times) wa saying the least. He fell somewhat quiet again.

_ Something's really bothering him, that much is clear. Actually… now that I think about it… something’s bothering me, too. _

“Oh? What is it?” said Grossberg when Phoenix voiced his issue. “Well, out with it, my boy!”

“You see, it's just…” Phoenix sighed. How exactly was he supposed to say this…? An idea had come to his mind as he thought about the situation as a whole. “I thought it was strange. Here was Maya, your own apprentice's little sister, in desperate need... Accused of killing her own sister no less, and you wouldn't take the case! I finally realized why. You and Redd White are connected. He's… um…” There had t be something… “I'll bet you and White go way back! He's your boss now, and was before, I bet!”

“My what? Boss? Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”  _ It makes perfect sense to me. EIther that, or they’re lovers or something. _

“Please, stop. You have a very peculiar sense of humor, Mr. Wright.” Grossberg sighed. “Very well, I'll talk.”

_ What does he mean "sense of humor"? I was serious! _

Still, Phoenix got what he wanted. Grossberg told him all that he knew. White’s company, Bluecorp, had made its fortune finding people’s weaknesses. One of those people was Grossberg himself, who had been paying White off for the past fifteen years to keep a secret of his. It was all du eto something called the “DL-6 Incident”. And it was all because of that whole thing that kept Grossberg from defending Maya.

Once again, it all could be traced back to the mysterious DL-6 Incident. It had been a case where Misty Fey had helped the police investigate a murder. Because of the leaked info, they turned against her and called her a fraud. Despite eventually being cleared of any harm, she still disappeared.

He went on to say that White, armed with his information would be impossible to arrest. There were dozens if not thousands of influential people under his iron grip. And that was all the information Phoenix got. Still, there was one thing he didn’t quite understand.

“But why were you blackmailed over this, Mr. Grossberg?” Phoenix asked once Grossberg’s story was done.

“The DL-6 Incident was top-secret at the time. It made sense. The police didn't want people to know they were using a medium!” Grossberg started to hesitate. “They couldn't let people know. But one person found out. I... I told him.” Phoenix’s eyes went wide.

“ _ You _ told White?”

“He offered me riches... It is an embarrassment to me now. Because I talked, the police were mocked far and wide. In secret, they began looking for the one who sold them out. Of course White heard about it, and he came to me. Only this time, the offer was blackmail.” Phoenix felt his throat go dry. So… all that had happened to Misty Fey was because of one man not holding his ground.

“... I see…” he sighed. There was only one thing he had left to do. “I’ll have to visit White myself. Someone’s got to bring this man to justice. I refuse to stand by when there’s something I can do…” Phoenix started to head to the door, “you wouldn’t happen to know the address of Bluecorp, would you?”

“... White controls the law of this country as he sees fit. Yet if you would still challenge him…” Phoenix had a hand on the door.

_ If I’m right… and it was White who killed Mia… her wand… when all is said and done, I’ll see what I can do about getting him obliviated. But for now… _

“I’m going to do what I have to.” He would do whatever he had to in order to save Maya and bring Mia’s killer to justice.

 

* * *

 

 

**September 7**

**6:00 PM**

**Bluecorp Inc.**

**CEO's Office**

 

_ What's with the surreal décor...? _

Phoenix had nearly been blinded when he stepped into Redd White’s office. It was bright and flashy… much like the man sitting before him now. He looked exactly like the photo Phoenix had taken from Grossberg’s office.

“Welcome!” said the man as soon as Phoenix shut the door behind him. “Please furnish me with the title of your personage!” Phoenix stared at him. “Your name! What's your name? I was just incurably asking the title that you go by.”

“Uh... Wright. Phoenix Wright,” Phoenix was hesitant in stepping forward. He knew who this man was, and his ridiculous, hard-to-understand vocabulary did not help calm his nerves.

“Mr. Wright, is it?” Phoenix nodded. The man got out of his seat. “Right, I see... Splendiferous. Perhaps I have intimidated you with my giantesque vocabulary...?” That wasn’t the reason Phoenix was intimidated.

_ What is this guy's problem? _

“I'm Redd White, CEO of Bluecorp,” said the man, introducing himself where o introduction was needed. “You know, Corporate Expansion Official? My business dealings bring me into contact with the elite of the elite. So I'm afraid I am not used to conversing with the wordily-challenged.” White stared at Phoenix. “Hmmm, let me guess... You are an attorney fresh out of law school, are you not?”

“Uh… Yeah. I’m actually working on a case right now.” It was creepy how he knew that. If he could read minds, he would be doing so right now. But from Mia’s personal list, he knew that White had no idea about magic.. or at least… Phoenix hoped so. “I have a few questions for you. Miss April May was indicted on the charges of tapping the victim’s phone. Miss May is an employee of Bluecorp, is she not?”

“Correct. She _ was _ my secretariat. What a shock it was to hear what she has done!”

“‘What she has done’... You mean the wiretap?”

“Indeed! She is paid to answer phones. Tapping them is  _ not _ in her job description. She does gather information for us as part of her duties. But, I assure you, we do not condone illegal methods! It is ineffable that she would do this.” It wasn’t, considering what the company he worked for provided people with… and took from people.

_ It sounds like he's trying to turn Miss May into a scapegoat… I won't let him get away that easily. _

Phoenix pressed White on every little bit of information that he had. He kept dodging the lawyer’s questions, finding absurd ways to avoid answering. It quickly got on Phoenix’s nerves. Especially when White subtly threatened him. But still… Phoenix wasn’t going to let him go that easily. He still had one piece of evidence left. He presented the article on a suicide of a politician to White.

White tried to deny it, but Phoenix knew all too well that he had him cornered.

“Mr. White, I know what you did to this politician,” said Phoenix, a hand still on the article. “You were blackmailing him!”

“Blackmail?” White repeated. Phoenix was getting closer to the truth, he could feel it. He nodded.

“Not just him, either. You were threatening and coercing hundreds of others! You were involved in all of the suicide cases that Mia investigated! This company is built on blackmail! I'm right, aren't I?” White sighed.

“What a bizarre accusation. Mr. Wrong…” The ever-present and creepy smile was still on his face. “What is it that you should be doing now? Investigating me? No no no. I think not! You should be searching for the one who killed Miss Mia!” White pressed a button on the intercom next to him.

“ _ Secretary's Office, hello? _ ” came a voice from the speaker.

“Mr. Wrong will be leaving now.”

“ _ Yes, sir. I'll send someone right away. _ ” There was a click as the seeker shut off. Phoenix felt is hands ball up. No, he couldn't’ back down. He refused to back down. This man was Mia’s killer, and he knew it. phoenix just have to get him to admit it. He slammed a hand on White’s desk.

“You're wrong, Mr. White,” he said. He could feel the aura of anger building up around the man before him.

“Excuse me?” White was gritting his teeth though that forced smile he was struggling to keep up.

“What I should be doing now is going after you!” White’s gaze narrowed.

“Just what are you insinuating?

“Mia was on to you. She was keeping tabs. For this reason you had April May tapping her phone. Then, Mia was murdered, and all the documents about you mysteriously disappeared. So, the culprit would be...?” White was silent. “Even a child could work it out, Mr. White. You did it!” White remained quiet. He simply pressed ano button on the intercom.

“ _ Secretary's office _ .”

“We won't be needing an escort for Mr. Wrong,” said White, not taking his eyes off of Phoenix fo a second. “Instead, please connect me to the public prosecutor's office.”

“Of course, sir. One moment please…” Phoenix raised an eyebrow. What was White doing? was he going to turn himself in? If that was the case, why was he calling the prosecutor's office? There was a click.

“ _ White? Is that you? _ ” came a stern, feminine voice over the other end of the intercom. Phoenix could make out some sort of noise in the background. Was whoever he had called at home? “ _ What are you doing calling me at a time like this!? _ ”

“Hello. Chief Prosecutor?” The chief prosecutor?! What  _ was _ White doing?! “I've changed my mind. I want to testify tomorrow.” There was a small pause.

“ _ What's this about? _ ” Was he going to confess in front of the entire court…?

“The Mia Fey case. I witnessed the murder, you see. And, thus, as a very important witness, I would like to testify.” Phoenix continued to stare. A… witness? He was more than a witness, he was the one who did it! There was the sound of something clattering to the floor on the other end of the call.

“ _ What? Why now? I thought you said you didn't want to go to court? _ ”

“Quietude...!” The way White snapped sent fear into Phoenix’s system. “I told you I changed my mind, didn't I? Oh, and one other thing. Send the police over here right away. The man is standing right in front of me. He looks dazed but could be violent!”

“ _ What? What man? _ ”

“Are you even listening? The executioner! The hatchet-man! The liquidator... The killer, man!” It took Phoenix only a second to realize what he was implying.

“What!?” Phoenix reclaimed. He wasn’t… He wasn’t really doing this, was he?!

“ _ Mr. White... this isn't another one of those… _ ” continued the Chief Prosecutor, not having heard Phoenix's outburst apparently.

“Chief Prosecutor.” Another shot of fear ran up Phoenix’s spine at the dark ton White had taken. I do not believe you are in a position to freely offer your opinions to me, correct? I'm telling you to send the police, now!” There was a pause before the intercom beeped, cutting off the call there. He was. He was doing this. Phoenix felt his hands starting to shake. This wasn’t happening. It couldn't be happening… not again!

 

_ “It-It wasn't me! I-I d-didn't... I didn't do it!” _

 

“... Did I not tell you, Mr. Wrong?” Phoenix looked up at the man before him. He was still grinning. “You are a mere lawyer! As was Miss Mia.”

“How dare you!” Phoenix snapped. This man… This man was a killer… and he had found his scapegoat for the murder. He was going to get off scot free while Phoenix took his place on death row.

“I'll point the finger at you, and you will be tried as Miss Mia's killer!” continued White, monologuing his plan like the villain he was. “The case is as good as settled. No lawyer of any worth will defend you. I have friends in the local lawyers association, you see. You'll be given a lawyer so stupendously inept that they make even you look competent.”

“I will stop you.” Phoenix grit his teeth. “I have my evidence. No one will believe you! No one…”

“Are you sure about that?” Phoenix stopped cold.

“What do you mean?”

“I know things about Mia Fey…” the smirk on White’s face made Phoenix sick to his stomach, “what she truly was. And I know that you are just the same as she.” Only now did the thought come to Phoenix’s mind.

_ … no. He knows… The wiretap… it exposed everything! _

“What…” Phoenix felt his mouth go dry. “What are you saying?

“You try to take me down… I’ll be forced to expose you and your little network of freaks to the world.” Phoenix's body grew rigid as something echoed in his mind.

 

_ “You’re such a freak, Phoenix Wright!” _

 

“I am not a  _ freak _ ,” Phoenix forced out, keeping his tone as firm as he possibly could.

“The public would beg to differ,” said White. “You can’t do anything, can you? You’ll just have to sit back and watch like the good little murderer you are.” Phoenix shook his head. This wasn’t happening  This couldn’t be happening.

He was going to jail for a murder he didn’t commit. Familiar thoughts and feelings arose in his mind. He wasn’t a murderer. He didn’t kill Mia. It was White. It was all White! He couldn’t take this standing down. He refused to! This wasn’t happening… it wasn’t!

Phoenix kept denying the reality of the situation… until Gumshoe came and slapped the cuffs on his wrists with a loud click.

 

* * *

 

 

**September 8, 2016**

**3:37 PM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

 

Phoenix stared down the floor of the visitor’s room. The only thing he had been left with was his badge. Everything else… the police had taken when they arrested him. The pocket lining the inside of his jacket felt strange being empty. That’s what he was worried about right now. The police had othi his and Maya’s and in their custody If they figured out the truth… phoenix shook his head. No, everything would be fine. That's what he had to keep telling himself. Everything would be fine.

He had come up with a plan.

“Wright. Mr. Wright!” Phoenix snapped out of his train of thought. He had been so caught up in coming up with his ideas that he hadn't realized exactly where he was. He was sitting in the visitor’s room, with Maya trying to get his attention.

“Oh. Maya,” he said, coming to his sense. “They let you out of detention.”

“Just now, yes. It's all thanks to you!” Phoenix offered her a weak smile and short laugh.

“I’m afraid that we’ve switched places….” Maya raised an eyebrow, prompting Phoenix to explain . He told her everything about his investigation the day before, not sparing a single detail. Her face was enough alone to show Phoenix how she felt about it.

“I don’t believe it!” said Maya, nearly shouting. “How many people does that guy need to destroy before he’s satisfied?! First my mother, then my sister… and now you! This has gone too far!” Phoenix caught a flash of furious determination in her eyes. “Mr. Wright, please tell me. Is there anything I can do?”

“Um... well…” There wasn't really anything Maya could do for him at this point. Well… “Right. Okay, listen up. I want you to help me break out of here!”

“You mean... a jailbreak?” asked Maya, earning her a nod from Phoenix.

“Yeah. Tonight's our only chance!”

“Alright!” Phoenix stared at her. What did she just say? “Oh, I'd better go get a hacksaw while the stores are still open. Oh, oh! And a rope ladder, and—!”

“... W-wait,” said Phoenix quickly before Maya could continue rambling on. “Wait wait wait.”

“What what what?”

“I'm kidding! It was a joke!”

“No way!” Why would Maya think he was being serious?!

“No really, I was kidding.” Phoenix sighed, leaning up against the table in between him and Maya. “But thanks. It's good to know you're on my side.”

_ And there really isn't anything you can do for me anyway without your wand… What are we going to do? _

“But... but I can't just sit here and do nothing!” said Maya. “I've got to give that man a piece of my mind!” Was just a piece really enough? Phoenix sighed. As before, there still wasn’t much that Maya could do.

“Okay,” he said. “Then, come to the court tomorrow.” That was all he had to do. Maya promised him that she would show up, making a declaration of determination with a bright grin. … it was god to see her smiling. it nearly gave Phoenix a shred of hope.

Unfortunately, in this day age, crime had gotten worse. A few years ago, a limit of three days was place upon trials. Most of them finished in a single day, and almost all ended with a guilty verdict. Phoenix could not investigate any further. which meant that he had one shot to reveal the truth and convict White.

It was either him or Phoenix. And Phoenix was not going to go down without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun... 
> 
> If you think Phoenix is screwed, raise your hand.  
> If I have confused you with some of the stuff I've written in this chapter, you may also raise your hand. I promise that it will all be explained in due time. Cross my heart and everything.


	5. The State v. Wright, 2016

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple plan is turned on its head when Mia's killer decides to indict Phoenix for his crime. To make matters worse, he knows about the lawyer's magical prowess. If Phoenix doesn't get himself a guilty verdict, then magic will be exposed to the entire court. Can Phoenix prove his own innocence and keep the world's greatest secrets under wraps?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The finale of Turnabout Sisters! I'm excited for this. I handled this about as well as I could. I hope you all enjoy the outcome of this trial.

**September 9, 2016**

**9:52 AM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 1**

 

To say Phoenix was nervous was an understatement. He had a plan, and there was a good chance that his plan would not work. He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. No, this plan was going to work. He just had to stay positive and believe in his own abilities as a lawyer.

“Ph-Phoenix!” Maya shook his arm as he went over how exactly he was going to try and bring down White in his head, effectively breaking his concentration. “Look!” Before he could ask what exactly Maya wanted him to look at, the girl spun him around to face the door. And the man standing in the doorway.

_ Prosecutor... Edgeworth.  _ There was solid beat before anyone in the room said a word.

“I received a call from the public prosecutor's office yesterday,” said Edgeworth, finally breaking the silence. Phoenix raised a eyebrow. “The Chief Prosecutor told me that whatever Mr. White says today, it will be the ‘absolute truth.’ No matter how you try to attack his testimony... If I raise an objection, I have it on good faith that the judge will listen to me.” Phoenix narrowed his eyes.

_ What, does White have the judge in his pocket, too!? _

“So... you're saying I'm going to be guilty,” he said, the words hurting his throat. “End of story?”

“... I will do anything to get my verdict, Mr. Wright. Anything.” Phoenix simply stared. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Lucky for him, Maya did.

“Why... Why!?” she said, pushing out from behind Phoenix. “How can you torment an innocent person like this!?”

“Innocent?” Edgeworth repeated, earning a nod from Maya. “How can we know that? The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out. There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I can hope to do is get every defendant declared ‘guilty’! So I make that my policy.” Phoenix finally broke away. He started at the ground, feeling something heavy forming hitting the out of his stomach.

 

_ "Everyone's been shouting you did it, but no one has any proof! That is why, Your Honor, this boy is innocent!" _

 

“Edgeworth…” said Phoenix, his grip growing unreasonably tight on the papers he was holding. “You’ve changed.” There was a solid beat. Maya looked between the prosecutor and the attorney, both of them silent.

“Phoenix, you know him?!” Phoenix glanced back up again, not providing Maya with anything to serve as an answer. Edgeworth’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest.

“Don’t expect any special treatment, Phoenix Wright.” And on that note, Edgeworth took leave of the room. There was a heavy silence lingering in the air, with everything that Phoenix wanted to say in that moment got caught in his throat. Before he knew it, the door had shut. Phoenix could only think of one thing.

_ Why? _

“Ph-Phoenix…?” He snapped back to reality when Maya touched his arm. Phoenix sighed, feeling any hint of tension leave his body. No, he had to focus. He couldn’t give up just because someone said something like that to him… even if that someone was Miles Edgeworth. He glanced up at the clock mounted on the wall.

“Well… court will be opening for session soon,” said Phoenix. He gathered up his evidence, making his way towards the door.

“What?” Maya followed Phoenix out the door and into the hall. He was moving at such a pace that Maya was nearly jogging just to keep up with him. “But… your defense attorney isn’t even here yet!”

“That’s because I’ll be defending myself.”

“What?!” Phoenix sighed, finally coming to a stop in front of the courtroom doors. He could hear his heart beating loudly. He swallowed down what had built up in his throat before gathering his resolve.

“Okay. Let’s do this.” Phoenix pushed the door open and stepped into the courtroom.

 

* * *

 

 

**September 9**

**10:00 AM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 1**

 

The judge pounded his gavel, and both the prosecution and defense were ready. Although Phoenix wasn’t a hundred percent certain that his plan would work, it wasn't like he had any other option. There were little to no defense attorneys that would face off against the Demon Prosecutor… that, and the only defense attorney he trusted to defend him was the victim.

“As the details of the event are already quite clear to the court,” said Edgeworth, glaring at Phoenix from across the courtroom, “today we will hear the testimony of another witness to the defendant’s crime.”

“I see. The prosecution may call its witness.”

_ That went far too smoothly! Why didn't the judge ask Edgeworth why his witness didn't testify before!? It's like... it's like he already knows why! Hmm. If anyone's going to raise an objection about this, I suppose it's me…  _ With a small groan, Phoenix slammed his hands down on the bench.

“Mr. Edgeworth, you owe an explanation to the court!” he said. “Why didn’t this witness testify in the trial against Ms. Maya Fey?!”

“I’m ever so sorry!” Given his tone, Phoenix didn’t suspect that he was. “Mr. White is a busy man, and besides… at the time I thought Ms. May’s opinion was all that would be needed. Again, my sincerest apologies to the court.” Phoenix groaned, muttering something under his breath as the judge commended Edgeworth for his demeanor in the face of Phoenix’s accusation. 

_ Great. He gets to show off and I get nowhere. _

Phoenix felt his hands ball up from behind the bench when White took to the witness stand. The tone of the impending cross-examination played out easily for Phoenix in the first few seconds of the testimony, as White gave Edgeworth trouble in giving him something as simple as his name. White then went on to testify and tell his version of Mia’s murder… a story that wanted to make Phoenix slam his head into the wall behind him.

White told the court that he had witnessed the murder from the Gatewater Hotel. He had been by the window when there was a loud noise from across the street. It was that moment that he “witnessed” Phoenix attacking Mia. He was joined by April May before “Phoenix” delivered the final blow.

The entirety of the story was a lie, and only Phoenix and Maya knew it. He had to drag out the truth with this cross-examination. With the single from the judge, Phoenix began his assault. He asked White to go into further detail about when “he” attacked Mia. White claimed that Phoenix hd run to the left before being struck.

_ So “I” ran to the left huh?  _ Phoenix smirked.  _ Hehe… got you right where I want you. _

“Mr. White, you’ve dug your own grave!”

“What is this!?”

“You said the victim ran to the ‘left.’ But that directly contradicts Miss May's testimony!” Phoenix said with a smirk, raising the copy of May’s testimony he had. “She clearly stated that the victim ran ‘right’!” White was quiet for a moment. Phoenix was sure that he got him.

“Oh hoh hoh. It is simple. You have misheard her.” That was fine. Phoenix had more evidence to back up his claim that White was lying.

“I think not. Look at the floor plans.” Phoenix went on to point out that if Mia ran left, as White had claimed, she would have been running away from the door and into a dead end. All in all, that scenario was a little bit strange, something which White agreed with. Still, he stuck with the fact that he had seen Mia run to the left.

“Phoenix,” said Maya from beside the defense, “Look at his face. I don’t think he’s lying about this one.”

“True,” Phoenix muttered back to her.

_ Maybe he really did see the victim run left...? So he did witness the killing...? _ Phoenix stared at the map of the office in front of him. _ Wait a second!  _ He flipped it around, take a different perspective on how the scene could be seen. Now things were starting to make sense.

“Mr. Wright?” Phoenix straightened up, snapped out of his thoughts when the judge addressed him.

“Yes, Your Honor?”

“Miss May says ‘right,’ and Mr. White says ‘left.’ Can you explain this contradiction to the court?” Phoenix glanced down at his floor map.

“Both witnesses are telling the truth,” he said, announcing the conclusion he had come to. For once, both White and May were telling the truth.

“Hah!” laughed Edgeworth from across the room. “I doubt it!” There was a pause. “Er, rather, that does not clear up the contradiction!”

“There is one scenario that would explain their conflicting accounts.”

“What!?” Apparently Edgeworth wasn’t expecting Phoenix to find a hole in that testimony. Well, he did say that anything White said would be the truth. Even he knew it had to be all lies… right?

Phoenix explained what he had discovered by flipping the floor map around. If both of the witnesses were correct, it meant that White had not been at the hotel where he claimed to be. Instead, he was in the offices of Fey & Co, right in the place of where the murderer was standing. It was the only logical course of action, given what White said. 

Not much of what Phoenix claimed was taken seriously. It caused chatter among the gallery, and both the prosecution (no surprises there) and the judge thought the claim was far-fetched. And to top it all off, White was laughing. Still, he decided to amend his testimony to match with this revelation.

White claimed that, as Phoenix had said, both he and May were correct. When “Phoenix” assaulted Mia, she had run to the left before being hit. With the last of her strength, she ran to the right. That where “he” delivered the final blow.

And that’s where Phoenix found his contradiction. According to the autopsy report, Mia had died from a single blow to the head, not two as White had claimed. And to that, he grew quiet. Now was his chance to hit him where it counted.

“Mr. White,” said Phoenix, feeling a smirk curl up on his face. “Wasn’t it you who told this court you were ‘absoposilutely perfect’?” White made a noise that Phoenix really couldn’t identify.

“I will refrain from using this phrase from now on,” muttered the killer under his breath.

“Your Honor, if you could ask the witness for a new testimony…”

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth before the judge could give the defense an answer. “The witness is obviously confused, Your Honor! I would like to request a ten minute break!” No. No, no, no. Hell no.

“Yes... yes, quite.”  _ Hell no. He’s not getting away with this! _

“OBJECTION!” shouted Phoenix, more so at the prosecution than anyone else in the room, “The witness is confused because he's lying! I emphatically request that there be no break, Your Honor!” From amongst the members of the gallery, Phoenix could hear the people shouting. They were with him. All of them wanted White to stay on the stand. Phoenix felt his smirk grow wider when the judge requested that White revise his testimony.

_ The crowd's on my side! No slipping out of this now, White! _

White was starting to slip, Phoenix could hear it by the tone of his voice. The witness claimed to have looked out the window when he heard something fall. In the moment that followed after, he caught sight of Mia running past the window. “Phoenix” had attempted to attack her, but missed when Mia darted towards the door. It was then that she was struck dead from a single blow.

There was one part of it that didn’t quite make sense to Phoenix. He heard something fall? When asked about this, White explained that he had heard the glass light stand set up in the office fall and break. Well, he wasn’t lying about that. Phoenix saw the glass himself.

Maya rapped him on the shoulder after that. She urged Phoenix to go further with his cross-examination. To her, something about White’s claim just felt odd. Trusting her intuition, Phoenix asked White to clarify about seeing the light stand. He had seen the light stand lying on the floor. And there was the hole.

With a loud OBJECTION! Phoenix claimed that it was impossible for White to see the light stand. His testimony was undone by the simple fact that the stand had shattered when it fell. Just by seeing those shards, no one would have guessed what it used to be. Trying to look innocent in the court’s eyes, White tried to fix this little, wide-open mistake.

“So…” said Phoenix, repeating what White just said, “you saw the stand before the victim was attacked, then?”

“C-Correct!” stuttered White. “That would be no problemo, right?” The defense shook his head.

“There’s a big problemo—” Phoenix sighed, “I mean problem here.”

“What problem is this?” Phoenix sighed again. White was rapidly losing this battle. Why couldn't he just give up?

“Mr. White, let me make sure I have this straight... You saw the glass light stand through the window, from the hotel... before the incident occurred?”

“Correct! That is so! It's conclusive, definitive, undeniable... unimpeachable!” And Phoenix found another rug to pull out from underneath White’s feet.

“No, it's impossible! You couldn't have seen the stand!”

“What? Why couldn't he?” asked the judge. “You have proof?”

“I sure do, Your Honor!” said Phoenix, feeling confidence slowly starting to build. “A person in the hotel could not have seen the stand before it fell over! Look at this!”

Phoenix presented the floor plans once again the the court. He explained his point. If someone were looking through the window at the office from the Gatewater’s hotel room, only a certain part of Fey & Co. that would have been visible. And that little glimpse into the office did not allow for a clear view of the light stand.

White started to stutter, only bits and pieces of his words making it out in an incomprehensible jumble. Phoenix went on. If White had been at the Gatewater as he claimed, there wouldn’t have been any way for him to have seen the stand before it fell over. Not even the broken shards would help him here.

The question that remained was when White saw the light stand. Phoenix answered that one in a flash. The only way White could have seen the light stand before it fell was from inside Fey & Co. In other words, he was at the scene of the crime the moment the murder took place. And then it happened.

White screamed, his facade breaking and frustration coming to the light. There was a heavy silence that followed from him. That was it. Phoenix had gotten him just where he wanted him. And a not guilty verdict was just inches away from his grasp.

“Mr. White,” said Phoenix, earning silence from the man. “You did it, didn't you?”

“... Mr. Your Honor,” said White, slowly lifting his head from its place on the witness stand. “I... I... Miss Mia…”

_ Heh. Looks like we're about to get our verdict!  _ The confident smirk on Phoenix’s face was swept off when an unmistakable shout came from the prosecutor’s bench.

“OBJECTION!” yelled Edgeworth before White could confess to his deadly deed. “That’s far enough, Phoenix Wright!”

“Wh-What?!” Crap, he had forgotten all about Edgeworth. What was he pulling now? There was no way he could undo the damage Phoenix had already dealt

“Mr. White…” said Edgeworth. White didn’t respond. He was simply silent. “I think the time has come. Shouldn't you confess your crime now, hmm?”

“W... What?” said White. Even Phoenix was a bit confused. Isn’t that what White was about to do? Why did Edgeworth suddenly just cut him off?

“I said, you should confess your crime. Ergo, confess that you placed the wiretap!”

“The w-wiretap?!” Phoenix stuttered. There was another thing had forgotten about. The wiretap. He kept his fingers crossed that Edgeworth was’t about to do what Phoenix was thinking about right now...

“Order! Order!” shouted the judge, trying to calm down the people Edgeworth had just riled up. “Mr. Edgeworth! Explain to the court what you mean by this!”

“Distinguished members of of the court…” said Edgeworth, taking Phoenix’s smirk for his own. “Mr. White is slightly confused. Allow me to explain.” Phoenix felt something heavy form in his throat.

_ I really don't like the way this is headed… _

Edgeworth’s theory practically tore Phoenix’s claims to pieces. He brought up the question that had yet to be answered: when was the wiretap placed in Mia’s office? In order to place the wiretap, White had entered Mia’s office before her murder. He only gave Phenix one shred of credit: that he proved White knew about the light stand. That credit was burned when he continued to say that it was all done so that White would be indicted as the murderer. 

“However!” Edgeworth continued, drilling holes into the weakening defense with his sharp gaze alone. “It is a fact that Mr. White had been to that office well before the murder took place! He went to place the wiretap! He could have seen the glass light stand then. Ergo, Mr. Phoenix Wright's theory is revealed for the baseless conjecture it is!”

Phoenix couldn’t say anything, even if he wanted to. Everything was getting stuck in his throat. Why… why was Edgeworth doing this to him?!

“Mr. White! You will testify to the court about this wiretap!”

“Ahem. Leave it to me!” Phoenix dug his nails into the bench.

_ I have that dizzy feeling again… _

White testified that he had gone to Fey & Co a week before the murder took place. The reason for such a visit was in order to place the wiretap. That’s when he saw the light stand, and that’s how he knew what had fallen. He had played right along with Edgeworth’s story, undoing all the hard work Phoenix had done.

_ Gah! What am I supposed to do now...!? I just gotta bluff until I find something! White has to slip up eventually… right? _

“Good luck, Phoenix…” said Maya from his side. She sounded as scared he felt. Maybe she even knew that there was no way out of this. But still… Phoenix had to try.

He picked at every statement White had to give. And at nearly every turn, Edgeworth was there to stop Phoenix’s attempt at examining the witness. He tore him to shreds, giving pieces of evidence to contradict anything Phoenix came up with. Eventually, there was nothing left.

_ I… uh… there has to be… but I pressed him on everything… Uh oh! Don't tell me I've run out of ammo! _

“I'm afraid that's as far as you go, Mr. Wright,” said Edgeworth, waving a finger in the  defense’s direction. “The time has come for you to admit your defeat! You fought... honorably.” Phoenix doubled over from his position on the bench, digging his fingers into his black spikes.

_ No more... I can't take this anymore... _

“Mr. Wright?” said the judge. “Are you giving up?” Phoenix slowly lifted his head, staring at the ground beneath his feet. He couldn’t focus. It was him about to break down rather than the witness. He couldn’t breathe. As much as he hated to admit it…

“... Y-Yes, Your Honor.”

“Phoenix!” Phoenix straightened up at the sound of his name. “Phoenix! Over here!” He knew that voice. But no. It was impossible. It… It couldn't be! Phoenix turned to who was standing next to him.

“Never give up, Phoenix!” His eyes went wide.

“M-M-MIA...!?” Every single function Phoenix’s brain stopped working in that moment. He collapsed on the courtroom floor with a heavy thud, his mind still trying with all it’s might to process what he just saw.

 

* * *

 

 

**September 9**

**1:09 PM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 1**

 

Phoenix’s head hurt when he finally came to. The room was spinning slightly, making the lawyer groan at the light. He slowly sat up, pushing back any hair that had fallen out of place. He was sitting on the couch in the defendant’s lobby. That was strange. Last he remembered, Phoenix was in the middle of the courtroom. What exactly happened?

In one quick instant, the entirety of the trial came rushing back to him. Phoenix frowned, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. Right. He had lost. And that despair cause a single hallucination. For a moment, Phoenix had swore he had seen Mia standing right next to him. That was ridiculous. Mia was dead. Phoenix had seen her body himself.

The door to the lobby opened, causing Phoenix to turn his head towards the door.

“Ah, you’re finally awake.” Phoenix screeched, scrambling back and almost falling off of the couch. Okay, his hallucination was still going on. This had to be some kind of magical backfire in his brain from losing the trial. There was no other explanation.

“Gak? That’s no way to greet an old friend!” She grunted as she grabbed Phoenix’s hands. With more ease than Phoenix wished there was, she pulled him back into place before he fell on the floor. No there was no possible way. “Phoenix, I want you to look at me.”

Phoenix groaned, shaking his head and rubbing at his eyes. He stared at the woman leaned over the arm of the couch, a filed tucked under her arm. He blinked. Okay… what?

He could have sworn that it was Mia standing there. But… now that he really looked at her… something was off. True, she did look like Mia. She had her facial features and everything. Even her body was the same. However… that’s not what had Phoenix starting to question his mental state. She may have looked like Mia but… her hair and her clothes… They were all the same as Maya’s.

Okay, the magic in his system was definitely messing with his head now.

“Y-You’re…” the woman came around to sit down next to Phoenix, “M-Maya…?” That was Maya right? She had been standing next to him the whole time. It was the only logical conclusion. Why did he feel like he was forgetting something…?

“Didn’t you now that the Fey women have strong, spiritual magic?” said the woman with a laugh. Oh, right. Maya had mentioned that, didn’t she? “When you accepted your defeat in court… It appears that was enough of a shock to awaken Maya's true powers.”

“So…” He was still trying to comprehend the whole situation. “Maya’s channeling you, Mia?”

“That’s right,” said Mia… At least, according the conclusion Phoenix had come to as to who this woman was. “I am Maya but I’m also Mia.” Still did nothing to ease  Phoenix’s confusion. “Now, I want you to listen to me, Phoenix. Maya never gave up. You can't either! That's what I came here to tell you.”

“B-But!” Mia held up her hand, cutting Phoenix off right there.

“We don't have much time, Phoenix.” How long had he been out? “Now listen. You've already won.” Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Mia held out the file she had brought into the room with her. He recognized it instantly. It was his court record. “You have that receipt in the court record, right?”

“Um… oh yeah!” Phoenix took the file from Mia, beginning to flip through it until he found what he was looking for. He held the bloody piece of paper in between his fingers. “The one you wrote ‘Maya’ on…?”

“Phoenix! White wrote that, not me!” Right… Phoenix glanced down at the receipt again.

“So... so what do I do with it?” Mia sighed.

“Look at the front of the receipt!”

“The… front?” She nodded. Phoenix took a look at the other side of the slip. It looked like just a normal receipt. Reading further, the piece of paper revealed that it was the proof of purchase for the light stand Mia had bought of the fourth. Wait… “September 4th?!”

“That's right, Phoenix. I bought that stand the day before I was killed!” Phoenix could feel Mia’s enthusiasm as he started to put the pieces together.  “Now, what did Mr. White say in his testimony?” And the final piece clicked into place.

“He said he saw the stand the week before the murder!” Phoenix exclaimed, shooting up from his place on the couch.

“There you go!” She was grinning as she stood. Mia’s eyes glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall. She placed a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder. “I think the court is about to reconvene! Go do it, Nick! You know you're innocent, now you just have to prove it!”

“Right!” Phoenix said with a nod. The two quickly exited the lobby, with newfound confidence and resolve.

 

* * *

 

 

**September 9**

**1:16 PM**

**District Court**

**Courtroom No. 1**

 

The trial was back in session before Phoenix even realized it was. He stared at the receipt in his hands. This was it. This was the ticket to saving him from the gallows. He swallowed down something building in his throat. Oh boy.

“Is the defendant... rather, are you alright, Mr. Wright?” Phoenix picked his head up, staring at the judge. It took him a second to realize what they were in the middle of.

“Oh! Yes.” Phoenix cleared his throat, pulling at his shirt’s collar. “Sorry, Your Honor. I’m fine now.”

“Then, let's start where we left off.”

“Your Honor. There’s nothing to go back to!” said Edgeworth, his volume teetering on the border of shouting. He was glaring dead at Phoenix as he said that. “The cross-examination of Mr. White is finished! All that is required now is for you to pass judgment on the defendant Phoenix Wright!”

“Your Honor!” said Phoenix, catching the look on the judge’s face. “Please, give me one more chance. I promise you, this is the last time I'll ask you!” That’s all he needed.

“Hmm... But, as Mr. Edgeworth has noted, the trial is more or less finished. Mr. Edgeworth, do you have an opinion on this matter?” There was a heavy pause lingering in the air.

“I say…” Edgeworth stared at Phoenix from across the courtroom. Phoenix couldn’t get a solid read on his expression. He sighed. “Let us give Mr. Phoenix Wright his ‘last chance’.” A small wave of relief washed over the defense. He sighed, a small smile creeping up on his face.

_ Now I've just got to show him the proof Mia gave me! _

Phoenix presented the receipt to the court. At first, there was little to no believability about his evidence. That was until Phoenix revealed his train of logic. The other side of the receipt and the date printed upon it was enough to get White to scream… literally.

“Well, Mr. White?” said Phoenix with a confident smirk. “Can't get out of this one, can you?”

“No... It's imposs-achievable…” White was beginning to lose it.

“Well, Your Honor. I understand there must be quite a bit of  _ pressure _ on you. But I think you'll agree you can't judge me ‘guilty’ under these circumstances.” The judge hummed, considering Phoenix’s statement.

“Very well.” The judge was agreeing with him. “Then, that is all for the trial of…”

“OBJECTION!” shouted Edgeworth, making Phoenix groan. “Not so fast, Phoenix Wright!” There was no possible way Edgeworth could worm his way out of… Phoenix sighed. He forgot. This was Miles Edgeworth he was dealing with.

Edgeworth requested one more day before the verdict was declared. There was no concrete proof Phoenix was innocent according to him, therefore they need to investigate further into the matter. Phoenix couldn’t let that happen. If he did, White would slip right through his fingers, and Edgeworth would get him convicted with something along the lines of fake evidence that he pulled out of the blue.

Phoenix attempted to argue for White’s guilt. Edgeworth brought up the fact that he still needed factual evidence to indict White. Unfortunately, Phoenix lost that argument. The judge was going to postpone the trial another day. Mia snatched up a random file from Phoenix’s court record, beginning to write on the backside of it as quickly as she could.

_ No! There’s no telling what will happen if I can’t end this now! Edgeworth is sure to come up with… or just make up… something! And after Mia showed up to help me and all… _ The judge was about to let White go when Mia shouted out, slamming the pen she also took from Phoenix on the bench.

“The witness will stay!” she said stopping white from leaving. She turned, pushing the piece of paper into Phoenix’s hands. “Phoenix! Read this note out loud.”

“Mia…?” Phoenix glanced down at what she wrote, raising an eyebrow. “What’s this?”

“Just trust me, Nick.” He sighed.

“Your Honor,” said Phoenix, glancing up towards the judge. “If I may…?”

“You're quite persistent today, Mr. Wright!” He had to be. His life was on the line. But still, he had the go ahead from the judge. He held up the note from the entire court to see.

“I have something I would like to read to the court!” He began to read off what Mia had written. The memo she had shoved into his hands was a simple list of names. They were all people involved in finance, the law and even famous celebrities. Phoenix barely even gotten start on the list when it happened.

“S-S-Stop! Desist! Halt! P-Please, stop! Make him stop!” Phoenix lowered the paper. White was sweating bullets, thick drops rolling down his face like rain during a hurricane. “How... how did you get that list!?”

“Mr. White. Admit your guilt, right here, right now.” Mia took the list back from Phoenix, holding it up high like a trophy. “Or else this list will be released to the press!”

“Stop! I… I…” White lowered his head, not looking at anyone as he spoke. “... I... I confess. I confess. I... I did it. I hit her. I hit Miss Mia with ‘The Thinker’!” Phoenix grinned. He was ready to celebrate, but there was one more thing that stopped him in his tracks. “… but I had my reasons!”

_ Oh no.  _ In trying to prove his innocence, Phoenix had forgotten all about what White promised to do when he confronted him yesterday.

“Mia Fey… she was a monster!” Phoenix scrambled for his wand. He didn’t care if he had to obviate the entire court, he had to stop White before he— Phoenix grasped at nothing. His wand… the police still had it.  “A witch, I tell you! A real life witch! She’s a demon and deserved to die. and so does that lawyer over there!” He pointed over at Phoenix. The defense attorney felt his heart stop. “I have the recording to prove it. They’re both freaks of nature!” Chatter erupted from the courtroom. Phoenix couldn’t breathe.

_ Oh no. No, no, no!  _ He exchanged a look with Mia. Her eyes were wide. She was stunned into silence.  _ We’re screwed! This is worse than a guilty verdict!  _ The court was silenced when there was a loud slam from the other side of the room. Phoenix locked eyes with Edgeworth, who had slammed his hand down on the bench. His expression was hard as stone. For a split second, Phoenix thought he looked as worried as he and Mia did.

“Your Honor, this has gone on long enough,” Edgeworth said with a heavy sigh. He crossed his arms over his chest, letting the stone break and relaxing his stance. “Not only have the witness confessed to the murder, but also has proven for the court that he is insane.” 

“What?!” shouted White, nearly shocked that the one person who had been on his side during the entire trial was now turning on him. Phoenix raised an eyebrow. What was he doing? He would surely lose the trial now. Why wasn’t he stopping this?

“Magic? A reality?” Edgeworth scoffed. “It’s ridiculous. Only a lunatic would believe in such childish fantasies. The witness is a murderer and a madman who has made this courtroom into a farce. I see no reason for the trial to continue on any longer.” 

“Quite,” said the judge. And with that note, White was dragged out of the courtroom, cuffed and yelling about magic like the lunatic Edgeworth painted him to be.

“Well!” said the judge as the door shut. “This court finds the defense... Ahem! Rather, the defendants, Mr. Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey… Not Guilty!!”

Phoenix sighed as confetti rained down upon the court in celebration for his win. He was free. Maya was free. Their secret was safe… All tension left his body. It had been a close call there for a moment… but a sweet victory was theirs.

“That is all. The court is adjourned!”

 

* * *

 

 

**September 9**

**2:24 PM**

**District Court**

**Defendant Lobby No. 1**

 

Euphoria flooded through Phoenix as he and Mia walked into the lobby a smile on their face and laughter playing from Mia’s lips. He sighed as the door shut behind them. Escaping the noose would do that to a person. But still… Phoenix had to agree with everyone who had gotten a not guilty verdict before him… it was one of the best feelings in the world.

“Well, I never thought I'd be saying this again... But, congratulations!” said Mia once her initial joy had calmed down. She slung an arm around Phoenix’s neck. “You're lucky I was born a Fey!”

“I'm lucky I had both you and Maya on my side,” Phoenix replied with a short laugh.

“I'm glad you made it…” Her smile grew wider. “Thank you, Nick. You risked a lot to help me... and Maya. I won't forget it as long as I live!” Phoenix stared at her. As long as she lived…? Did that really count for anything at this— Mia was starting to get a little heavy, slumping up against Phoenix's shoulder. 

“M-Mia?”

“...My time here is running out.” Mia said after a long pause, trying to do what seemed like catching her breath. “Maya’s magic is still fairly weak. I can’t stay here for long.”

“W-What!? No! There's still so much to say!” No… he didn’t want to have to say goodbye again.

“Don’t worry,” Mia said with a faint smile. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“Ch-Chief!” Mia laughed weakly.

“I'm not the ‘Chief’ anymore.” Those words sharply struck Phoenix’s heart. Mia stood up, pushing off of Phoenix as she did so. Her expression darkened. “Nick? Can you come to the office tonight... say, 9:00?”

“The office…?” Mia nodded. She walked, nearly stumbling, towards the door. She turned back, flashing Phoenix one last smile.

“I’ll see you later,” was all she said before disappearing from the room. Phoenix felt the world stop as she went. No. No, no, no. She couldn't leave again. He still had so much left to say, and there wasn’t enough time to. After a moment, Phoenix felt his feet move a he began to chase after Mia.

“Chief…!” Phoenix called out, rushing out of the lobby. “Mia!” He would have been able to catch up to her if it weren’t for someone stepping into his path. One of the bailiffs had approached him. He was holding a brown paper bag that had been stapled firmly shut.

“Are you the defense attorney?” the bailiff asked. “Phoenix Wright?”

“Um… I uh..” Phoenix looked past the bailiff and into the hallway. He sighed. Mia was already out of sight and long gone. “Yeah. That’s me.”

“Here.” The man forced the bag into Phoenix’s hands. It was somewhat lighter than he expected it to be. “I was told to give this to you before you left.” The ballif left. Phoenix stared at the bag, wondering what just happened. It was another second before he snapped to his senses.

“Hey, wait!” Phoenix ran out of the lobby, and was lucky enough to catch the ballif before he rounded the corner of the hallway. “Who… Who told you to give this to me?”

“I’m not a privilege to say.” The man disappeared around the corner. Phoenix stared down at the bag in hands. His mind was swimming. Only one question kept popping up.

_ What the hell just exactly happened?!  _

 

* * *

 

 

**September 9**

**9:02 PM**

**Fey & Co. Law Offices**

 

Phoenix made sure not to be late this time. He kept his promise to Mia, being there are nine o’clock on the dot. The office was still dark. As he found out during his investigation, White had damaged the fuses when trying to get a job on Mia the other night. The repairs were underway now that the trial was over. Oh well. At least it wasn’t that dark in the room. The moon and the light from the city outside was enough to allow Phoenix to see.

He was alone in the office of Fey & Co. Maybe Mia was the one who was late… or Maya was having trouble summoning her or something. Whatever the case was, all Phoenix could really do was be patient and wait. He sat upon his desk, the bag he had been given still with him. He thought that Mia might know what it was. Was this normal for trials? Getting random bags of stuff? Phoenix sighed. That’s wasn’t that as bothering him right now. What was bothering him was sitting where he was.

Being back at the office… it was hard to not think about the night Mia died. It was the same scenario and everything. Though, there was no one left to die this time, or a reason for anyone to be killed. Still… the scent of blood was haunting Phoenix’s mind and would not go away any time soon—

“You came!” Phoenix's thoughts were cut off there. Someone was standing in the doorway, and walking into the room. Their face was covered by the darkness, but it wasn’t hard for Phoenix to tell who it was.

“Mia…” Phoenix said with a small sigh. Now, he could finally have the answers he was looking for.

“I was kinda worried you might not.”

“Huh?” Phoenix hopped off of the desk. “Of course I came…” Why wouldn’t he?

“Well then! I'm pretty hungry. How about a burger?” Wait, what?

“M-Mia...?” Why would she be hungry? Wasn’t she… kind of dead? Mia burst out into laughter.

“You should see your face!” she said in-between her snickering.

“Mia!” Why was she laughing? This was no time to be laughing!

“What are you talking about? It's me! Maya!” Phoenix felt his processes falter, mouth dropping open.

“M-Maya...?” Sure enough, the younger Fey sister stepped into the light, a mischievous grin on her face. Phoenix stared at her.

“What, did I look like my sister?” Maya asked, tugging on her hair.  Look like… she w _ as _ her! “I might be able to use that.” Maya giggled before she did an impression of her sister’s voice, "Oh, Phoenix! Go to the store and buy me lunch, would you?" Phoenix sighed. In hindsight, he should have figured it out sooner with the silhouette she was giving off and her voice.

“Um, Maya…” Phoenix sighed again, leaning up against his desk. “Why are you here?”

“Because of this!” Maya dug into the pocket of her jacket, producing a folded piece of paper from within. She handed it over to Phoenix. Giving her a look, he opened it. It was a note. He recognized the handwriting. “See? Mia wrote me a letter. ‘Take care of Phoenix for me’.”

“Take care of…” Phoenix read over the letter. It was sure by Mia alright. He could tell by the tone the letter carried. But still, Maya wasn’t lying. In Mia’s looping handwriting, her message to her sister was written clear as day. What was Mia talking about though?

“She means the office. This office!” Maya snatched the letter back from him. That’s not what it seemed like according to Mia’s letter. “Someone has to help with the new Wright & Co. Law Offices, right? And who better but me!” Wait, Wright & Co. what now?! Maya gave Phoenix a mock salute. “Maya Fey, reporting for duty! Wait, no, on second thought, let's make this casual! Yo, Nick! Maya here, ready to get down to business! You... don't mind me calling you ‘Nick’, do you? It's a great name! Mia used to call you that sometimes, didn’t she?”

_ "Nick"...? I mean.. yeah, when she wasn’t being serious or when we weren’t in court but… _

“You know what this means?” said Maya, holding out her hand to him. “We're partners!” Phoenix sighed for a third time in the past five minutes. What was he supposed to say to all of  _ that _ ?

_ You know, when I think about it… It  _ is _ Maya's fault I'm here now. But... If it wasn't for her I'd probably be in jail!  _

"Wright & Co. Law Offices,” Phoenix said out loud, letting the name roll off his tongue. He grinned. “It's got a good ring to it. Yeah! Thanks, Maya!” He took her hand, giving it a firm shake. As soon as they made contact with each other, something caught Phoenix's eye. The shimmering spectral form of Mia Fey was standing there, her hands placed over those of her sister’s and his subordinate.

_ “Good luck, Phoenix. I'll always be here... watching.” _ Phoenix stared at the ghost. Mia gave him a reassuring smile. He felt relaxed for a moment before a second thought came to mind.

_ Wait… what does she mean by that…? _

“Right!” Maya let go of Phoenix’s hand. He blinked. The apparition was gone. “Okay, Nick, let's do it!” Phoenix turned his attention to Maya. What was she talking about?

“Huh? Do... what?” Didn’t they cover all the bases? 

“Duh!” Maya walked past Phoenix. She pointed to the bag he had brought with him. “Eat! That’s what this bag is right? Food?” Phoenix could only offer her a simple shrug.

“One of the bailiffs gave it to me after the trial,” he explained, picking up the bag. There was something strange about it. What it was, Phoenix couldn’t quite put his finger on it. “I…” he sighed, “have no idea what’s inside of it.”

“Well, what are you waiting for then?” Maya tugged harshly on Phoenix’s jacket’s sleeve, bouncing on the edge of her heels. “Come on! Open it!”

“Okay, okay!” said Phoenix, huffing a little at Maya’s behavior. With a tug, the staple on the bag came off. Phoenix opened the bag. He froze in place as he and Maya peered at what the bag hid. He couldn’t believe it.

“I-Is that—!” Maya eyes lit up as he pulled out what was hidden in the bag. They stared at them. What had been concealed away in the bag were his own and Maya’s wands. Maya happily snatched hers out of Phoenix’s hand, holding it close to her chest. However, Phoenix still felt a little weight left in the bag. He tipped out the remaining contents on the desk. That got Maya’s joy to diminish. It wasn’t only their wands inside the package.

The broken halves of Mia’s wand laid on the desk, along with a folded piece of paper.

“Sis’s…” Maya couldn’t finish her sentence. Phoenix stared at the halves, eyes wide.

“It was here all this time,” was the only thing he could say in that moment. The wood had become dull, and the tips of the phoenix feather inside were starting to curl with ash.

“What does the note say?” Phoenix blinked, placing the bag on the desk.

“Hold on Maya, I’m getting there.” He was careful as he picked up the note, trying not to disturb the halves of Mia’s wand from where they lay. He unfolded it.

_ “Take better care of your things, _ ” read the note. _ “There’s not always going to be someone on the inside to fix your mistakes and clean up your mess. I will not let the Statute of Secrecy be broken by you because you can’t be careful.” _

“Someone on the inside?” Maya repeated, glancing up at Phoenix for an explanation. He only could provide her with another shrug.

“There are more witches and wizards in the legal world than Mia and me,” he said, “Maybe someone involved in this case took them from evidence and gave them back to us.”

“Maybe Detective Gumshoe? He confiscated our wands, remember?”

“Maybe, but…” Phoenix sighed, looking down at the paper once again.  _ The note… it really doesn’t look like Gumshoe would have this type of handwriting at all. Maybe it was a female detective? Or something… I don’t know. _ He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just glad we have them back.” He heard Maya hum.

“Okay, Nick!” she said as Phoenix folded the note up. “Let’s go!”

“Go?” he said as Maya tucked her wand inside of her robes. “Go where?”

“Dinner! I’m starving!” She took Phoenix by the wrist starting to drag him out of the office. “There's a great burger joint just down the street. C'mon! Time's a wastin!”

“O-Okay!” Phoenix pulled himself out of Maya’s hold, allowing him to tuck his wand into his jacket before anyone could see it. Maya had gotten a few steps ahead of him. He picked up his pace. “Wait up!” He closed the door to the new Wright  Co. Law offices behind him as he left.

Phoenix Wright didn’t realize it then, but his life was about to get far more interesting than it already was — full of magic, mystery, and unbreakable bonds. And that trial was just the start of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a while, I don't have much of Turnabout Samurai done at this point. But I do promise that it will have more magical bits and pieces, especially when it comes to the investigations. (For example, Maya blows something up, and Phoenix gets to be a bit of a badass towards the end.)
> 
> Well, magic makes my life easier when writing out scenes anyway. Alohomora is my favorite spell now.


	6. A Cry from a Samurai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wright & Co. Law Offices takes on its first official case. Phoenix wishes he never introduced Maya to the concept of television.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance if this case isn't as well written as the others and takes longer to come out. While I don't hate Turnabout Samurai - to me, it's a good case - it isn't one of my favorites, and is in fact my least favorite case in the first game. My feelings towards it make it a bit difficult to write this one out. Lucky for me, I have you guys to help me get through it.
> 
> Enjoy the beginning of Turnabout Samurai.

**October 14, 2016**

**5:31 PM**

**Wright & Co. Law Offices**

 

The Wright & Co Law Offices were strangely quiet, with Maya Fey far too focused on the TV to really say much of anything. In fact, that was the only noise Phoenix could hear from his office. The sound of whatever Maya was watching was his background music as he packed up everything he had gone over for the day. Which hadn’t even been much.

"See you in Hell, Evil Magistrate!!!" Phoenix walked out of his office, not expecting a handle of a broom to come swinging in his general direction. He ducked as it swung over his head. Any later and it would have hit him square in the face.

“Maya!” Phoenix screeched as he stood back up. Maya lowered the broom, with the show she had been watching beginning to roll its credits. “Stop waving that broom around!”

“Sorry, Nick,” said Maya, holding the broom behind her back. “Forgot you were here.”

“Of course I’m here!” This was his office after all, and had been so for over a month now. He sighed, glancing over at the TV screen. “What was that surreal show you were watching?”

“What?! Nick, you mean, you don't know the Steel Samurai!? And I thought you knew everything about the No-Maj world!” This earned her a sigh from Phoenix. They had this conversation before, sometime after Wright & Co. had been established. It was then that Phoenix realized what Mia meant when she said her sister had been ‘inquestive’. “The Steel Samurai is only the most popular TV hero for young people!”

“Young…?” said Phoenix. Maya nodded proudly. “Like, how young are we talking?”

“Um… like… ten years old?” Phoenix stared at her.

“Then what the heck are  _ you _ doing getting all excited!?”

“Hey! I’m only seventeen! That’s seven _ teen _ . I’m a teen! Not like you, Nick.”

“Maya, you’re a witch. And witches come of age when they turn seventeen. Which means, you are, in fact, an adult.” Maya’s argument and her grin faltered at this reminder. “And don’t talk to me like I’m your grandpa or something. I’m only twenty-four.”

“Then why don’t you watch it with me?” Maya placed the broom up against the wall. “He’s really cool. And... it's really popular! When they asked grade school kids what they wanted to be, ‘Steel Samurai’ was number one!” Phoenix let out a sigh, dragging a hand down his face.

“I never should have introduced you to the concept of television,” he muttered under his breath. He had only done so because she asked him about the TV sitting in the reception area. It was meant to keep clients busy when they waited to see Mia, or at least that’s what the older Fey sister had claimed. Phoenix was certain that it was an impulse buy — something Mia had just gotten curious about. A majority of the things in the office were like that.

Either way, Phoenix thought teaching Maya about the television would be a good idea at the time. It kept her busy when he was trying to get his work done. Especially since Maya asked him a lot of questions about the non-magical world in their initial first few days or being partners-in-law.

“Gramps!” said Maya with a huff. She sighed, turning the TV off. “Well, the Steel Samurai's over. I guess it's time to close up.”

“I guess…” Phoenix groaned as he and Maya began to walk out of the office. “Wish we had some clients!” Maya flicked the light switch off before shutting the door behind them. A month had passed since Phoenix’s and Maya’s trial. Despite Mia’s murder being all anyone seemed to talk about for days, no one paid any attention to the Wright & Co. Law Offices. The closest they had gotten was a mention in the newspaper article about Edgeworth’s first defeat in court. That was it.

“It'll be okay,” sad Maya, patting Phoenix on the shoulder as they walked out of the building, “I'm sure some big client is just around the corner!” Phoenix groaned.

_ Easy for you to say. My landlord is threatening to evict me if I can’t pay my rent this month. We’re going to need a big client and fast! Otherwise we’re going to lose the office, and I’ll be homeless. _

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16, 2016**

**8:14 AM**

**Phoenix Wright's Bedroom**

 

Phoenix groaned as he was pulled out his dreams. And he had been in the middle of a pretty good one too. He was just about to—

Another loud ring made Phoenix groan again. He slammed his hand onto the bedside table, blindly reaching for the phone laying there. It was about a minute before he got a hold of it He didn’t even bother to check the number before answering.

“H-Hello?” he said, stifling a yawn. “This is Phoenix.”

“ _ N-N-NICK _ !” Phoenix winced at the loud voice over the other end of the phone. Well, he was wide awake know thanks to her.

“Maya…? What…” Phoenix sat up. He glanced over at the clock. He still had another fifteen minutes before he had to get up and meet her at the office. “It’s still early…”

“I-It's the Steel Samurai!” Apparently Maya didn't care that she had just woken him up. Or just wasn’t listening. Phoenix was betting on the latter. “The Steel Samurai got arrested!”

“Huh? You mean the guy on that show?”

“Yes! They're saying that the Steel Samurai killed a villain!”

“Umm... “ Phoenix stared blankly at the wall. Is this really what she was calling him about? ”Isn't that what he's supposed to do?

“Yeah, on TV!”

“Yeah, on TV.”

“No! I mean,” Maya loudly groaned, “he actually did it! In real life! He skewered a villain with his Samurai Spear!” Phoenix blinked once, raising an eyebrow.

“I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.”

“Just come to the office, quick! Please, Nick!” Before Phoenix could ask anymore questions about what Maya was going on about, the line went dead with a beep. He stat there for a while, his mind still waking up ad trying to comprehend what just happened.

“What the hell…?” Phoenix muttered to himself. He sighed, placing his phone down on the nightstand. Oh well, looked like he would have to get up earlier than expected. And that Maya better have a good answer for that phone call just now.

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**9:22 AM**

**Wright & Co. Law Offices**

 

_ Maya's here... watching television. Again, never should have shown her what it does.  _ Phoenix sighed, shutting the door behind him. Maya was sitting on the couch, staring intently at the TV screen. Whatever she was watching, she had been so engrossed in it that she didn’t notice Phoenix enter, not pay him any attention when he walked behind her. He stared at the screen. Why was she watching the news?

“Maya, what are you—”?” His only response was a hand in his face and Maya loudly shushing him.

“Just listen!” she said, not taking her eyes off the screen for a moment. Phoenix sighed. He followed Maya’s gaze to the TV. It was playing a news report. Why was Maya watching this? He didn’t take her for one to—

“ _Now for the morning news_ ,” said the anchor on the screen, cutting off Phoenix’s thought process. “ _The actor Will Powers was arrested yesterday. Powers plays the lead role in the popular kids show ‘The Steel Samurai: Warrior of Neo Olde Tokyo.’ He was arrested on suspicion of murder. The victim was Jack Hammer, who plays the villain known as the ‘Evil Magistrate’. His body was found still inside the Evil Magistrate costume. The ‘Samurai Spear’ was also found stuck through the body. Police believe this was the murder weapon, and are investigating further._ ” Phoenix grabbed the remote from beside Maya, swiftly shutting off the TV before the news report could continue.

“...This has to be a joke,” he said, staring at the blank screen. Maya rapidly shook her head.

“No, no, no! It's a nightmare!” she cried, “The Steel Samurai is over! The world is over!” And Maya was overreacting. Still, Phoenix placed a hand on her shoulder. It shouldn’t have been her focus, but it still made her upset. He should at least try to comfort her.

The moment was broken by the sound of the phone’s shrill ring in the other room. Maya threw Phoenix's hand off of her, before shooting up from the couch like a rocket and running into his office. He heaved a sigh before following. By the time he made it to the door, the ringing had stopped and Maya had the phone in her hand.

“Yes... Wright & Co. Law Offices,” she said, faking the cheerful tone in her voice. Her eyes went wide. “… What!?” Phoenix raised an eyebrow before Maya whirled around. Her smile this time was real. There were stars in her eyes. “Nick! I-It's the Steel Samurai!” Now it was time for Phoenix’s eyes to go wide.

“Wh...What?” He dashed over to where Maya was standing. The moment he attempted to take the phone from her, Maya threw out an arm, pushing Phoenix away from her. It had been the office phone that had been called, which meant that it was possibly a business matter. And that the one who ran the office should have been the one answering.

“Yes….” Maya nodded to no one. Phoenix tried to get the phone from her again.

“Maya… give me—” He felt something stick into his chest. Maya had whipped out her wand, using it to keep Phoenix from moving any further. He took a step back, Maya’s wand tip sticking to him like glue. “Maya, don’t you dare.” She gave him a look before returning her attention to the phone call with a short hum.

“Yes, of course!” Maya said, acting if she wasn’t poking her wand deep into Phoenix’s chest to the point where it was starting to hurt. “We’ll be right here!” Maya hung up the phone. She slid her wand away and back out of sight. Her mood had turned around completely, with that bright smile sticking to her face. “Let’s go, Nick!”

“Go?” Maya nodded, rushing over to door. “Go where?”

“They have the Steel Samurai down in detention!”

“So what?!”

“So, I’ve decided that this will be our first case!” Maya dashed out of the door without so much as  a second thought. This was going to be what?!

“Maya!” Phoenix ran after her. “Wait up!”

_ Does she not know what wizarding attorney means?! I can’t get involved unless magic is involved! _

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**9:47 AM**

**Detention Center**

**Visitor's Room**

 

Phoenix finally understood what his mother had meant when she had told him to ‘not expect much when meeting your heroes’. Maya fell unexpectedly silent as the guards brought out their client, an actor by the name of Will Powers. He was… something that Phoenix did quite expect either. He was a large man, looking almost like a beast. Maya went even as far to comment that he probably did it. It wasn't until Powers cleared his throat to let their attention that the conversation truly started.

“Something wrong…?” asked Powers, making Maya quickly shake her head.

“N-No! No! Not at all!” Maya sputtered. Phoenix sighed, leaning up against the table sitting between him and Powers.

_ This is getting off to a great start. _

“I know, I know,” said Powers. “You’re disappointed, aren’t you?”

“D-Disappointed?” Maya repeated, shaking her head once again. “Oh no. No, no, no, no!”

“No, it's okay. This is the real me. When I got the part of the Steel Samurai, with that mask... I decided I would never show my face in public until the job was over. It's the kids, you know. I didn't want to wreck their dreams.” Powers sighed. Phoenix caught sight of Maya’s scared expression starting to soften. “I guess it didn't matter. So much for dreams. I wonder what they think of the Steel Samurai now…” The man before him started to cry. It was… a bit uncomfortable to watch, especially when Phoenix couldn't do anything. Maya nudged Phoenix's shoulder.

“Nick,” Maya whispered to him.

“What?” Phoenix whispered back and unable to take his eyes off of Powers.

“He's a good guy! I mean, he's good!”

“Yeah.”

“He didn't do it!” Phoenix sighed again, running a hand through his hair. This was going against his job description… well… half of it, anyway. And that was the half that he cared about right now.

…  _ Okay… fine… Maya wins.  _ His own moral compass, as well as Maya had won this battle. Phoenix had his first client or the Wright & Co. Law Offices.

With that secure in his mind, Phoenix asked Powers what exactly had happened. The cast of the  _ Steel Samurai _ had arrived at Global Studios for a run-thought of the latest episode. There were a few actions sequences practiced that morning, with rehearsal later that afternoon at 5:00. However, by the time 5:00 rolled around, Jack Hammer as found dead on the set, dressed in costume. He had apparently been skewered by one of the porps, something called the Samurai Spear.

That’s when Phoenix asked what exactly the Steel Samurai was.

“Nick! How could you say such a thing?” Maya exclaimed before Phoenix could even get an answer to his question. She quickly turned to Powers. “I-I'm sorry, sir, I apologize for my partner! He's new to this, and a bit  _ out of touch _ with the world.”

“Hey! Who’s ‘new to this’?!” Phoenix shot at her. He had been doing this for a few months now, not counting how long he worked for Mia prior to taking the bar. “And at least I know how to work the TV!” Maya fired a glare at him.

“No,” said Powers, breaking up the two, “It’s alright, really.” He explained that the Steel Samurai was the lead character for the show he acted in. Every week, he would fight against the Evil Magistrate, the victim’s character, and always defeat him.

With Phoenix’s next question, Powers went on to explain where exactly he was on the day of the murder. It was the same as the first story… almost. After the run-though, there was a lunch break. Afterwards, Powers claimed to have taken a nap in his trailer, and by the time he woke u, he was late for the rehearsal. When he arrived at the studio, he was arrested on the spot. Phoenix felt that was all he was going to find out here.

“I think we should probably check out the scene of the murder…” Phoenix muttered out loud.

“Right... Global Studios,” Powers said with a sniff, “I'll draw you a map.” It wasn't like he really needed one, he could just apparte there without a problem. But still, he accepted it. it would probably make getting there a bit easier on his system if he knew exactly where he was going.

“Nick!” Maya was tugging on his wrist as she lead him (more like dragged him) out of the detention center. “Let’s go!” Phoenix groaned.

_ I’m willing to bet money that she asks for autographs... _

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**10:01 AM**

**Global Studios**

**Main Gate**

 

The investigation wasn’t going to be easy, Phoenix knew that. However, even before he and aya took a step onto the studio lot, they were accosted by one of the security guards. The old woman went on a rant, some parts which Phoenix could barely catch.

“Um… Nick?” Maya asked in a low whisper, tugging on Phoenix's jacket. “Will I grow up to be like her? Please say no.”

“I dunno,” Phoenix replied back with a shrug. “It’s possible.”

“Hey!” shouted the security guard, stopping her rant long enough to realize that Phoenix and Maya weren’t exactly listening anymore. “Listen when you're being spoken to! Youths today!”

Trying to get something out of the security officer proved to be a bit of a bust when it came to relevant information surrounding the case. All they had gotten was information on the victim himself. He was a pretty big action hero back in the day. However, after some sort of accident he had been reduced to playing the villain on a kids show.

It wasn’t until they brought up Powers that Phoenix actually found himself paying attention to the conversation. Instead of getting proof of his innocence… well… they just got some more accusation. He opened his mouth to defend his client to the guard.

“We don't know for certain that Will Powers is guilty!” Maya said, beating Phoenix to the punch.

“Powers?” Maya nodded at the guard’s question. “Of course he's guilty! How do I know? I know everything! That's my job.”

“And why are you so certain that is was Mr. Powers who’s the killer?” Phoenix asked, biting back a sigh. 

“I was standing right here yesterday, I was. I was here from 1:00 in the afternoon, to 5:00, when they found the body! Now the studio where the murder took place is to the left here. So if you want to go to the studio, you have to pass by me! Only one person went by here between 1:00 and 2:30, when the murder took place!”

“And... that person was Mr. Powers?” It didn’t sound right. Not to him, anyway. However, the guard was firm by her stance on Powers’ guilt. “But Mr. Powers says he was sleeping in his dressing room.”

“Oh, I'm sure he would say that. He's no fool! But he was the only one that walked by. He's the killer, you can bet your biscuits on it.” She narrowed her eyes, staring daggers at both the spirit medium and the lawyer. “Isn't it about time for you to be heading home? There's nothing to see here. Move along.” She tried to push the pair towards the studio gates, only barred by Phoenix and Maya’s own resistance. God, how was this old woman this strong?!

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**10:23 AM**

**Studio One Entrance**

 

That security woman had refused to let Phoenix and Maya take a step further into the studio without a letter of request from Powers. Although magic would solve the problem (as Maya kept telling him), Phoenix refused to use it to get into the studio, most likely to just get thrown out again when the spell wore off or otherwise.

Besides, Phoenix had to ask Powers about the truth behind his alibi. Just as he had hoped, Powers stuck by his original story as he wrote out the letter. The actor had no idea how the security lady saw him making his way towards Studio One. Nothing had changed, though it did raise certain questions in the back of Phoenix’s head.

With the letter in hand, there was nothing barring the pair from getting access to Global Studios, much to the security guard’s chagrin. In hindsight, though, Phoenix really wished he had taken Maya’s ‘sneak around the studio’ suggestion to heart. Fate was somewhat cruel, making the first person that the pair had found be no other than the detective on the case… and that just had to be Detective Dick Gumshoe. And he did not have any pleasant greetings to give.

“You know Prosecutor Edgeworth is all upset, and it's your fault!” said Gumshoe, with Phoenix taking the slightest step back at his tone of voice. “I saw him sipping tea and staring gloomily out the window!”

“Umm..” Phoenix exchanged a glance with Maya before simply shrugging,. “so?

“If he's depressed, it's all your fault for doing sloppy detective work!” Maya fired off, taking the detective’s words closer to heart. Gumshoe was oddly quiet. “Um… detective?” Phoenix sighed.

“I think you hurt his feelings.” With a heavy apology, Maya managed to turn the detective's spirits around. If you asked Phoenix, that only made things a bit worse, because with his senses in the right place, Gumshoe was able to ask about why they were at the studios in the first place, a topic Phoenix was hoping wholeheartedly to avoid.

Well, at least Gumshoe was willing to dish out information about the case to them. He even gave Phenix a copy of the latest autopsy report. Bu in the lawyer's opinion, the most helpful or came from Gumshe explaining why Powers was arrested in the first place. Apparently, at the time of the murder, the only one seen going to the scene of the crime was none other than Powers himself. Even the security lady could attest to that.

“About the security lady…” said Phoenix, hoping to get a little more information out of the detective. Maybe he had some way of getting around her that he could share.

“Oh, that sweet old lady. What a charmer!” said Gumshoe. Phoenix exchanged a look with Maya. She looked just as confused as he was, only offering her partner a shrug.

“A-Are we talking about the same person?” The confusion only grew when Gumshoe ndded.

“When I showed her my badge she gave me a donut and some coffee!” Phoenix mae a mental note to test out how much authority his attorney's badge had. “She even gave me a piece of valuable evidence!”

“Whaat!?” Maya screeched.

“What kind of evidence!?” Phoenix added.

“Well, that, er, photo,” said Gumshoe as if the answer had been obvious the entire time. “The photo of the Steel Samurai heading toward the scene of the crime!”

“What?!” Maya cried out again, matching word-for-word Phoenix’s exact thoughts. “Who took that?!” Gumshoe easily explain it to them. Every time someone walked by the gate, the camera attached to it would automatically snap a picture out them. It… It was pretty hard evidence, and gumshoe looked a little too happy as he told them that.

“Um… We'd like to ask the employees here some questions…” said Maya, hopefully tryin to change the subject and get away from the detective. His positivity about Powers’s guilt was starting to get to Phoenix.

“Sure thing, pal. Go wherever you like.” Gumshoe told them. “Of course, you're not going to find any clues I haven't already found!” Phoenix groaned as the detective laughed. At least someone around here was enjoying themself.

“Nick, let's go!” Maya grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. “We've got a free pass to the place. Now's our chance to check things out!” With a small of his jerk, Maya dragged Phoenix off towards the scene of the crime. She was way too excited about this.

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**10:52 AM**

**Studio One Entrance**

 

Phoenix watched as Maya raced into the studio. She was practically bouncing around as if she were on a sugar high.

_ Maya’s way too happy for someone visiting a crime scene…  _ He slid the keycard they just happened to borrow  from one of the dressing rooms in his pocket.  _ in hindsight, we could have unlocked the door without the use of the keycard… but…  _ Phoenix cast an agitated glance towards one of the corners.  _ Damn security cameras.  _

Maya had gone quiet. She was standing in front of the outline of white tape on the floor, doing nothing but stare at her surroundings like a puppy who was just brought home for the first time.

“What is it?” She was still silent. Phoenix tapped her shoulder, making Maya jump and whirl around to face him. “You went real quiet all of a sudden, what is it?”

“Doesn't it give you the shivers, Nick?” said Maya. Although she had been rooted to the same place, Phoenix could still see her shaking. “That white tape! It's so... so real!”

“Well, the Evil Magistrate did die here. And the Steel Samurai killed him. The murder weapon was the Samurai Spear. Sounds pretty real to me… What’s with that look?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!” She was pouting in his general direction, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed It took a few seconds for it to settle into his head exactly what Maya had been going on about. 

"You’re talking about the equipment.” Phoenix sighed. “Of course you are.” The biggest grin broke out on Maya’s face.

“Yeah I am!” she said, the excitement in her tone nowhere near being a good thing. It was like a little kid being let loose in a candy store. “Have you ever been surrounded by such superior No-Maj tech before? It’s awesome!”

_ You get way too excited about this kind of stuff… next thing I know, she'll be freaking out over that step ladder over there. _

“Like,” Maya rushed over to the camera perched on the tripod in the corner, “just look at this!”

“Maya, don’t touch it!” Of all the things to fawn over, she had to pick the most expensive thing in the room. And of course, he had to touch it. Even though it was a simple touch, it offset the balance the tripod had. Phoenix dashed forward, catching the camera before it had the chance to hit the ground. He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. That was a little too close for comfort—

“Hey! You! No touching that!” Alright, spoke too soon. Phoenix spun around, only to face a furious looking girl rushing towards him and Maya.

“Ah, um, sorry, my partner is kind of, y'know…” Phoenix stumbled over his words as he backed away from the camera, dragging Maya with him. The girl gave him a look, tending to the piece of equipment that Phoenix had saved from destruction.

"Y'know?!" Maya said in a harsh whisper. “No, I don't know!”

“Umm... “ Phoenix turned his attention to the girl, “who are you?”

“Who me?” said the girl. Phoenix nodded. “I'm an assistant here. I help with props and stuff. Moving them around, ordering new ones, et cetera. My name is Penny Nichols.”

“We're lawyers representing Mr. Will Powers!” said Maya, her grin returning. That was awfully quick.

“Oh, you're WP's people,” Penny became much more relaxed than she was previously. For once, being a lawyer seemed to have a good reaction. Usually, most people grew tense and immediately distrusted Phoenix. At least… that’s what past experience taught him anyhow. She even thought that Powers was innocent, unlike most people in the studio. Which meant, to Phoenix anyway, that she was willing to help the pair in any way she could.

Penny gave a rundown on the day of the murder from her own perspective. She had been the only assistant at the studio that day, and had helped out with the rehearsal that morning. After lunch, Hammer had went to Studio One, while Powers went to his dressing room. She hadn’t seen either of them after that. She couldn’t even confirm that owers was sleeping the whole time.

It wasn’t much help, in all honesty. Tough, Penny did let it slip that she had felt that there was someone there who didn’t belong at the studio on the day of the murder. Phoenix made a mental note to look into if that was true or not. Maya pointed out that if anyone had seen someone suspicious at the studio, the security guard would have seen it. As it was their last resort, he agreed to try and get information from the guard.

This was not going to go well, was it?

 

* * *

 

 

**October 16**

**11:17 AM**

**Global Studios**

**Main Gate**

 

“What? You're still here? Really! You look as though you've seen a ghost!” Phoenix was starting to regret this decision. It was necessary for the investigation. That’s all he had to keep telling himself. Necessary for the investigation. “What? I saw that suspicious look on your face!”

“I wanted to ask you again about yesterday…” said Phoenix, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket, “You came here at 1:00 PM, correct? And the estimated time of Hammer's death was 2:30. Are you sure that Powers was the only one to go through here between those times?”

“Sure as can be!” said the security guard with a nod. Phoenix sighed. At least he didn't have to fight to get his answer. Then again, it wasn’t exactly helpful.

“But we have a witness who thinks there was ‘someone from outside’ here that day.”

“What!?” Maya jumped, taking a small step back behind Phoenix.

“Are you absolutely sure you were here watching the whole time?” The security guard was silent.

“Ma'am?”

“Who was it? Who told you that? Who dares question  _ me _ !?” Maya squeaked, ducing entirely behind Phoenix now. How was a woman the same age as his grandmother so hostile? ...then again, Phoenix’s grandmother was terrifying under certain circumstances in her own right. Or at least that’s what he had been told. “Alright you better tell me and tell me quick, you spiky-haired cretin! Someone's been complaining about the work I do, eh!?”

“Uh... um,” Maya jumped in when Phoenix started stammering, “we were just talking to the assistant in Studio One.” And that set her off on a rant that Phoenix could not keep up with. He stood there, watching as the security lady reached her peak and ran off in the direction of the studios. He sighed. So much for getting decent information on the case…

Maya pulled Phoenix out of his thoughts when she pulled on his sleeve.

“Nick, this is our chance,’ she said, her courage returning along with her grin. Phoenix raised a brow. “We can do what we want without her looking over our shoulders!” Phoenix mirrored Maya’s smirk.

The two dashed over of the security booth. They didn’t know how long they had before the old guard returned. Phoenix wanted to make this quick and easy: get in, get out. End of story. Phoenix made his way over to the computer that he hoped held the photos from the security cameras. Well, if he could work that old computer that Mia bought for the office, then this shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

“You know how to work these things, Nick?” Maya asked, peering over Phoenix’s shoulder as he pulled up the security photos.

“No. Not really. But what’s the harm in trying, right?” It looked like he just had to enter a few numbers.

“Is it possible we could just… I don’t know… cast a spell on it? Get it to just… give us the photo?”

“No, that is a bad idea. Magic and electricity never mix well.” That, and Mia had fried the first computer she bought for the office. Phoenix was afraid that Maya might just do the same thing to this one. He went quickly to work before Maya could make another suggestion. The first part was easy. All he really had to do was enter in the day of the murder. The next part took a few tries, and that was guessing the serial number of the camera. But, eventually, Phoenix got it right. Even if Maya did poke fun at him for not knowing the correct number right off the bat. He may have known how to use technology, but it didn’t exactly mean he knew everything about it.

“Let's see what we got…” Phoenix muttered to himself as the picture data from that day printed out. All he could really do was stare at it.

“How is this a picture of Will Powers?” Maya asked, raising a brow at the photo’s image. It wasn’t Will Powers in the photo, like the attorney had expected. It was the Steel Samurai that was depicted in the picture.

“Well, he is the one who always wears that suit... I guess that's why the security lady thought it was him.” Maya caught sight of something on the back of the photo. Printed in orange letters was: OCT 15, 2:00 PM, PHOTO #2.

“Hey, hey, Nick!” said Maya as she and Phoenix quickly made their way out of the booth. He slid the photo into his jacket, safely next to the case file and his own wand. “Can't we use this photo as evidence for the trial?”

“Yeah.” At least, he hoped so.

“We'll put that security lady in her place with this!”

“Right, we'll put her in her place…”

“Hey, that's what I said!” Phoenix merely hummed in reply. How could they even use the photo in the trial? It would end up condemning Powers for certain. “Anyway... Let's show her this photo and see what she says!”

“Wait!” Phoenix managed to grab Maya by the back of her robes before she could turn around and go in search of the security lady. “Let's not.”

“Why not?”

“It's… never a good idea to reveal your hand to the enemy too soon.” That, and Phoenix really didn’t want to have another encounter with the woman that day. He wanted to put off any confrontation with her until tomorrow.

“Nick! You're craftier than I gave you credit for. Why, you could be the next... Evil Magistrate!”

“Hey! Why do I have to be the villain?! Maya, that’s classist.”

“What? No! No, it was supposed to be a joke!” Phoenix let out a snicker as he patted Maya’s shoulder, trying to reassure her that he was just messing with her.

They were done for the day. With a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that no one had caught them in the act, Phoenix and Maya rushed out the studios’ main gate. The photo was all they really needed. Thought, it would have been a lot better if they had even a vague idea as to who the killer was.

“We’ll find out tomorrow,” said Maya reassuringly as she skipped a few paces ahead of Phoenix. “Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“Dunno,” Phoenix replied with a shrug, “depends who I’m up against.” Maya spun around, walking in reverse with an eyebrow raised.

“You haven’t checked out who the prosecutor for this case is yet?”

“No. I haven’t taken a look at the case file yet actually.” With everything that had been happening with the investigation thus far, he didn’t really have any time to. Maya pouted.

“The trial is  _ tomorrow _ !”

“Okay, okay,” Phoenix sighed. “Give me a second.” He pulled the case file out of his jacket and opened it. It didn’t take him long to find the listing for the prosecutor. He stared at the name.

“Who is it?” Maya fell back, letting Phoenix catch up with her. All he did was continue to look at the name. “Come on, Nick. Who is it?!” Phoenix made an unintelligible noise, something between a groan and a shout of gibberish.  _ Why now _ ? he thought. This was only his third case, why was he going up against him again?

“Dammit!” Phoenix shouted, making Maya jump. He handed her the file. Soon, she saw the reason for his frustration.

“Oh…”

The prosecutor for this case was Miles Edgeworth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite what I said in the beginning of this chapter, and my feelings on Turnabout Samurai, I do have a lot of ideas for this that are going to happen. As time goes on, I promise, there will be more magic involved in the case. Cross my heart and everything.
> 
> If you've seen my tumblr and one of my most popular one-shots on there (which I will be posting on here after this case), then you can figure out what one those ideas is.
> 
> And I know that there must be someone thinking that if Phoenix can't get involved because of magic, therefore going against what he's supposed to be doing (i.e. keeping magic under wraps for crimes that involve it) then... well... I must say...
> 
> You have no idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Keep in mind that I'm posting the first chapter to kind of test the waters when it comes to this AU. I only have up to Turnabout Sisters finished right now, so... yeah.  
> Comments would be appreciated, but you don't have to leave them. Kudos would be enough to let me know that people like the idea of this AU. Maybe I'll go on with it. I don't know...


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